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In recent decades, scholars and professionals have investigated the courts' treatment of mothers and children who claim that an ex-partner/father is abusive, especially in child custody proceedings. In Italy, Laws 54/2006 and 154/2013 established that joint-custody and coparenting are critical to ensure the best interest of the child. In the process of custody determination, judges can appoint an expert to assess parenting skills. The aim of this qualitative study was to investigate the knowledge, opinions, and practices of the Court-Appointed Experts (CAEs) in child custody disputes in cases involving allegations of domestic violence (DV). Semistructured face-to-face interviews were conducted with 15 CAEs; the interviews' transcripts were analyzed with qualitative content analysis. Results suggested that in the management of child custody cases, most CAEs showed: strong prejudices against women victims of DV, who were often blamed and/or secondarily victimized; adherence to controversial models (e.g., parental alienation syndrome) and characterization of mothers as "alienators"; poor knowledge of DV and relevant laws. CAEs' overlooking DV underlines the urgent need to develop and implement guidelines on child custody decision-making in the context of DV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers have observed that the relationship between sovereign citizens and Child Protective Services (CPS) is inherently antagonistic (Hines, 2021). A number of high-profile CPS cases indicate that increasingly some QAnon adherents are adopting sovereign citizen tactics to regain custody of children. Conspiracy-oriented leaders have specifically targeted CPS agencies with false claims that CPS trafficks children to harvest their organs and blood. This descriptive article examines the increasing overlaps, focusing specifically on their intersection in child custody cases. In at least one instance, these toxic and meritless strategies have led to murder. Utilizing extensive review of news accounts and court documents, relevant case studies are documented that illustrate this developing phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the turn of the 20th century, Canada has been criticised for its high youth incarceration rates. These criticisms appeared in several reports, in particular those of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. Since the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) came into effect in 2003 and following the implementation of extrajudicial measures and other alternative measures, the rates of youth incarceration have dropped significantly. However, this does not mean that juvenile delinquency and custody impacts are no longer a major concern within the Canadian society. In this article, we examine the consequences of legal policy, more specifically the impacts of the YCJA on the reduction of youth incarceration rates in Canada, to then provide a picture of the current context by analysing official statistics on youth incarceration and discussing what has and has not yet been achieved under the YCJA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Divorce is associated with a weakened relationship between the child and the nonresident parent, usually the father. This loss of contact is likely to be even further exacerbated if this parent lives at a substantial distance from the child. OBJECTIVE This paper analyzes how the distance between children and nonresident parents, the year after a parental separation, has changed during a 40-year period in Sweden, and whether this is related to changes in child custody policies. METHODS We use Swedish population register data that includes exact geographical coordinates for children and their nonresident parents in the year after separation. We analyze how average distance and the likelihood of living very close to, or very far from, a nonresident parent has changed over this period, using OLS and logistic regression models. RESULTS Results show a gradual decrease in the distance between children and nonresident parents from the 1970s until the early 1990s, after which the trend stalled at a low level. In 2011, 50% of all children lived within 2 kilometers of their nonresident parent. We find no evidence of direct policy effects, indicated by any sudden changes in distance after the introduction of a new custody policy. High-income parents have changed their postdivorce residential patterns at a faster pace than low-income parents. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate a diffusion process where distances between children and nonresident parents gradually decreased until the 1990s. CONTRIBUTION This paper demonstrates that the change has not been directly influenced by custody law reforms promoting dual parent responsibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both the child protection and the family law systems are intended to promote the best interests of children, and both can profoundly affect the relationships between children and their parents or caregivers. Over the past two decades, both systems have also accorded more weight in the assessment of best interests to how exposure to domestic violence can harm or place children at risk. However, these systems have evolved differently, are governed by different statutes, and are administered in different ways. Child protection proceedings purport to have primarily a protective function and invariably involve a public agency, while family law proceedings, under the Divorce Act and similar provincial and territorial statutes, typically involve disputes between private litigants. In this article, I compare the impact of the two systems in cases involving allegations of domestic violence, highlighting the challenges within each, the differences between them in their identification and response to domestic violence, as well as the problematic ways in which the systems interact and generate contradictory pressures for survivors, most often mothers. While I reference research findings in other jurisdictions, my inquiry is focused on Saskatchewan, a jurisdiction with relatively high rates of children in state care and the highest rate of domestic violence of all provinces. I draw on multiple sources that include extensive in-person interviews with legal professionals, government employees and service providers. I argue that the tensions and contradictions experienced by those affected by domestic violence could be mitigated by the provision of adequate and appropriate preventative and legal supports in both systems along with information and procedural protocols, more uniform understandings of domestic violence and adequate training for all court and Ministry personnel in the dynamics of domestic violence, the impact of systemic inequalities and the specific issues arising at the intersection of both systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Police respond to high volumes of domestic violence (DV) calls that can be time-consuming and often deal with repeat involved persons, regardless of whether or not charges are laid. This study extracts and examines three distinct cases of individuals/couples that involved almost 2% of 3,414 domestic violence calls to police that occurred over about a 3-year period for a small-sized urban community and its surrounding rural areas in Ontario, Canada. Most of the calls (86.2%) for these three cases did not result in any charges being laid. Each case represented a unique problem focus common in DV situations, and all three cases involved children. Key issues for one case included substance use and the cycle of violence; in another case, mental health problems and parenting challenges were prominent; and the third case pertained to child custody and access issues. Acceptance of offered support and services by the involved persons was minimal in all three cases. Implications for improved police responses involving collaboration with other service providers in smaller communities with limited resources are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work has as its object a critical statement about the admission process of people deprived of liberty (PPL) at the gateway to Rio de Janeiro, who go through unfavorable situations, such as the naturalization of the invisibility of the vulnerable profile of inmates as well as their presentation in custody hearings, with part of their clothing and shoes removed by police officers. The selective profile of PPL does not coincide with the population that commits crimes and crimes, as important and decisive socioeconomic, political, racial and cultural filters operate for deprivation of liberty. Therefore, the custody hearing is a public policy aimed at curbing violations and guaranteeing fundamental rights, which is the guarantee of human rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When a tenant of Crown lands died leaving a minor heir, his widow became embroiled in litigation through the Court of Wards and Liveries to retain the custody of her child. This article investigates how women within the midland counties responded to the challenges presented to them by their husbands' deaths between 1616 and 1625. It uncovers how widows fared at the hands of the court, how they fought to obtain the custody of their children, and how they responded to the pressures of debt. It explores the resistance they faced from male opponents, how they fashioned their arguments, and how their overtures were received in court. By investigating an almost untouched repository of material in The National Archives, London, it offers new insights into female litigation under James I whilst adding to ongoing scholarship about the role of women in the Westminster law courts in the early modern period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the issue of custody disputes in Louisiana involving third-party parents who have no legal or biological relationship with a child but have developed a psychological attachment.

The article discusses legal issues concerning the unregulated custody transfers of adopted children in the U.S. Topics explored include the way legal adoptions require court approval under the U.S. adoption policy, the model law drafted by the Uniform Law Commission (ULC) to prevent unregulated custody transfers of both adopted and biological children, and the federal and state laws being implemented to protect child welfare.

OBJECTIVES: Children experiencing family violence (child abuse and neglect and exposure to intimate partner violence) are at a particularly elevated risk for compounding challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, we interviewed intimate partner violence (IPV) advocates, child protective services (CPS) caseworkers, and IPV and CPS administrators on the needs of children experiencing family violence during the pandemic. METHODS: We conducted semistructured interviews with IPV advocates, CPS caseworkers, and IPV and CPS administrators. Recruitment occurred through emails to national and state listservs, networks of the study team, and word of mouth. Interviews were completed through Zoom, took 45 to 60 minutes and were audio recorded. We used a mixed deductive-inductive content analysis approach. RESULTS: Fifty-nine IPV advocates, 35 IPV administrators, 21 CPS workers and 16 CPS administrators participated in this study. Four themes emerged from this work. Participants discussed the role of social isolation, school closures, and distance learning on children experiencing family violence. They also noted child custody and visitation challenges, particularly in the context of abusive partners using custody to control IPV survivors and limitations to virtual visitation more broadly. Compounding challenges were described for children from marginalized communities due to structural-level inequities. Collaboration was discussed by participants from both IPV and CPS sectors. CONCLUSION: This study is one of the first to describe the way the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted children experiencing family violence. Future studies should triangulate these results with children, families, and other child-serving providers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the discussion on family courts beginning officially for considering coercive control as domestic violence in custody determinations. Topics include requiring a judge for considering domestic violence as a factor in deciding child custody disputes; and interplaying between domestic violence and sustained litigation and the heavy responsibility and complexity of the task of identifying coercive control.

Allowing truth to be revealed to us is a collaborative process akin to the sensitive receptivity to signals from the Universe achieved by the Allen Telescope Array for SETI research. Ready receptivity to truth is a practice that leads to mastery through unity with the Source of Truth. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Interface - Comunicação, Saúde, Educação is the property of Fundacao UNI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Interface - Comunicação, Saúde, Educação is the property of Fundacao UNI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Sociologia, Problemas e Práticas is the property of Centro de Investigacao e Estudos de Sociologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

As the nuclear family increasingly fails to represent the majority of .families in the United States, courts are grappling with the question of what arrangement of adults (and potentially children) constitutes a "family". In addition to a host of more recognized variations. another form of.family is emerging in public and academic discussions: families with polyamorous parents ("polvamorous families"). Polyamory and other forms of consensual non-monogamy are becoming increasingly common in the United States, particularly among lesbian, gay, and bisexual identified persons. Polyamorous families represent a significant challenge for the legal system's traditional construction offamily; operating outside of common familial, relationship structure, and sexuality norms (e.g., monogamous, different-sex parents), polyamorous families appear legally unintelligible to the judiciary. Research demonstrates that there are significant, generalized social stigmas and biases against polyamorous persons, polyamorous parents, and polyamorous families. This Article u.ses empirical data to examine children's physical, material, and emotional well-being in polyamorous families and relates those outcomes to state statutorily mandated standards for tile judicial adjudication of child custody cases. This Article applies the "Best Interests of the Child" ( "BIOC") test used by state courts to make custody determinations. In light of novel Polyamorous Family Study data, sociological and psychological data support the finding that polvamorous families are capable of fulfilling BIOC state standards. Proposed solutions for improving the legal standing Of polyamorous families in child custody law are discussed and proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Sociologia, Problemas e Práticas is the property of Centro de Investigacao e Estudos de Sociologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article describes an infant and early childhood mental health-informed therapeutic visitation program that offers clinical support, systems-level advocacy, and developmentally appropriate guidance to families navigating the child welfare and family court systems. The program offers treatment, permanency, and placement planning for infants, young children, and their families experiencing trauma, attachment disruption, foster care, and permanency-ambiguity. Through exploration of a programmatic theoretical framework, the authors discuss the process of identifying community gaps, garnering system support, and program design, and they also offer a summary of results from a recent program evaluation including implications for future direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Society & Social Work is the property of Journal of Society and Social Work and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Cuadernos de Trabajo Social is the property of Universidad Complutense de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

State childcare parentage laws, that is, laws designating parents for custody, visitation, parental responsibility allocation, parental decisionmaking and/or support purposes, have evolved dramatically in the past half century. The (r)evolution is due to major changes in both reproductive technologies and human conduct. Yet the (r)evolution is incomplete. The (r)evolution is especially incomplete in Illinois. Recent statutory amendments in Illinois chiefly reflect the work of the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws in its 2000 model Uniform Parentage Act, not its 2017 Uniform Parentage Act. The latter better addresses the effects on childcare parentage of the changes in both reproductive technologies and human conduct. As well, the latest Illinois statutes do not reflect the NCCUSL's 2018 model Uniform Nonparent Child Custody and Visitation Act which also address the changes in the ways in which American families are formed and reformed by expecting and existing legal parents. Finally, the 2019 draft of the American Law Institute Restatement of the Law on Children and the Law has only recently been available to Illinois lawmakers. Any (r)evolution in Illinois childcare parentage laws should not be fully fueled by the NCCUSL or ALI pronouncements. While a few other states have substantially embraced the 2017 UP A, it embodies certain public policy choices over which lawmakers can quite reasonably differ. As well, the 2017 UP A presents significant constitutional challenges. Parentage law (r)evolution in Illinois is chiefly the responsibility of the General Assembly. When asked to develop broad childcare parentage norms, the Illinois Supreme Court unanimously deferred, finding the complex issues merit broad "policy debate " in the General Assembly. Illinois legislators will be challenged when contemplating new parentage laws. The laudable goals of promoting certainty, recognizing the import of blood ties, furthering children's best interests, respecting family members' wishes, protecting parental rights, and enhancing public welfare often cannot be simultaneously pursued. Yet the General Assembly must act. Neither Congress nor the United States Supreme Court is likely to soon demand more national uniformity on parentage. Thus, as with many other family law matters (like marriage dissolution, heirs in probate, and standing to sue in tort), lawmaking on childcare parentage will substantially remain for state lawmakers. This Article first briefly notes some recent significant changes in technology and human conduct impacting legal parentage. Then it examines the federal constitutional boundaries on state childcare parent laws. Next it explores the diverse array of models, statutes and precedents on childcare parentage now operating outside of Illinois. Then it looks at current Illinois parental childcare laws. Finally, the Article elaborates on some of the key questions facing Illinois legislators when considering new childcare parentage norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The legal culture can offer one of the most accurate characterization of the legal system nowadays in the conditions of legal pluralism and globalization, but also in migrational conditions as well. In this direction one of the most important aspects may be the best interest of the child. In recent years, legislatures of many Muslim countries have revised the conventional Islamic rules on child custody. Whereas in the past, rules were oriented on fixed age brackets and the gender of the parent and child, they have increasingly been formulated in favour of the principle of the best interests of the child and/or in favour of the mother through an extension of the custodial time period afforded to her as a matter of law. I the following study I was only underlining the importance and the relevance of the legal culture on this aspect of best interest of the child, as well as the influence of the general/religious culture on some of the laws in these countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: This article provides an introduction to the Special Collection on "Separation, Divorce, and Residential Mobility in a Comparative Perspective." The Special Collection consists of six European case studies: Belgium, Finland, France, Italy, Hungary, and the United Kingdom, and a cross-national study comparing Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. All studies focus on residential relocations or housing outcomes following separation. RESULTS: Divorce and separation have a long-lasting impact on individuals' residential relocations and housing conditions. This influence is gendered - women are generally worse off than men - and varies by individuals' educational level, whether they have children, and who cares for the children following union dissolution. CONCLUSIONS: Although the study countries are different regarding their welfare systems and housing markets, papers in the Special Collection report striking similarities in the housing and residential consequences of union dissolution across countries. Separation leads to a prolonged residential and housing instability for many individuals. CONTRIBUTION: The studies contribute to the literature by focusing on the role of repartnering, child custody arrangements, the parental home, location continuity, country context, and gender for postseparation residential patterns and trajectories. Furthermore, this Special Collection contains the first analyses of the residential and housing patterns of separated men and women in Eastern and Southern Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caregivers of a child with a coexisting cognitive/intellectual and an emotional/behavior/developmental disability have difficult decisions regarding care management options for their child. This study aimed to pilot and refine an instrument to elicit caregivers' preferences in managing their child's care needs. Subjects were 38 caregivers of a child aged 21 and younger with a coexisting cognitive/intellectual and an emotional/behavior/developmental disability. A mixed-methods design was used to develop and pilot a discrete choice experiment (DCE) to elicit care management preferences for their child. Six attributes of care management decisions were tested in the DCE: medication use, parental custody, time cost, social interactions, medication effects, and school placement. Subjects completed a paper-and-pencil survey after which a debriefing discussion was held to obtain feedback that would aid in refining the attribute descriptions. Conditional logistic regression generated mean scores for each attribute. Comments from the debriefing sessions were audio-recorded and used to modify the attribute descriptions. The majority (84%) of subjects were aged 40 years or older and a female caregiver. Common diagnoses of the children were autism spectrum disorder (55%) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (76%). Subjects preferred using fewer medications and maintaining decision-making authority as opposed to delegating authority to a third party. Medication effects on the child's mood were more important than effects on personality or body weight. The DCE was sensitive to caregivers' preferences for managing their child's coexisting cognitive/intellectual and emotional/behavior/developmental disability. Findings may help providers gauge treatment in a broader context of health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing body of scholarship demonstrates that parents with psychiatric disabilities and their families experience a range of inequalities that families with nondisabled parents do not suffer. Parents with psychiatric. disabilities contend with pervasive discrimination within the child welfare and family law systems, often resulting in the removal of their children and loss of custody. Moreover, some children of parents with psychiatric disabilities experience worse outcomes than their peers, while others do not. Yet, despite extensive legal and social science scholarship focused on parents with psychiatric disabilities and their families, no studies have empirically examined the legal needs of parents with psychiatric disabilities as perceived by parents themselves. This Article responds to the scholarly void and offers new and much-needed data on the real-world experiences of these parents. This Study draws qualitative data from in-depth interviews with twelve former clients of a legal services program in Massachusetts that provides representation to parents with psychiatric disabilities. First, this Study shows that the legal profession lacks understanding of mental health, which some parents believe negatively affects representation and case outcomes. Second, attorneys may need to provide parents with psychiatric disabilities assistance beyond litigation, including taking more time to explain the legal process, assisting with administrative tasks, and coordinating with other supports and services. Third, our data suggest that parents with psychiatric disabilities may have ongoing legal needs that require access to additional legal services beyond those related to the child welfare and family law systems. This Article concludes by identifying critical areas for further research and discussing the policy implications of the findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rise of Medically Assisted Procreation has led to the issue of how to determine who is entitled to parental status and custody rights. In this article, the author comments upon the rationale and legal principles that Italian Courts have applied in order to solve those problems, given the absence of a targeted piece of legislation. The principle of the child's best interests, the 'public order' clause and various rulings from the European Court of Human Rights constitute the foundations on which legal trends have developed, allowing same-sex couples to become parents through 'stepchild adoption' or the legal registration of children born through heterologous fertilization practices abroad. Italy has therefore repositioned itself a step closer to the middle ground with respect to the overall European scenario: Italy's law now acknowledges motherhood for intended mothers, although it continues to stop short of recognizing same-sex marriage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Szociológiai Szemle is the property of Hungarian Sociological Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

On 19 March 2019, Sir Martin Narey gave his inaugural address on being appointed Visiting Professor at the Policy Evaluation and Research Unit (PERU) at Manchester Metropolitan University. In this, he reflected on his life and career in the Prison Service Barnardo's and roles for Government since retirement. In doing so he commented on the links between alcohol, imprisonment and the care system. This paper reproduces this inaugural address. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1982, the Supreme Court in Santosky v. Kramer held that the "clear and convincing " standard was the minimum evidentiary burden that the state must meet in order to permanently separate and remove a child from his home. A majority of states since then have interpreted Santosky to find that the evidentiary standard for temporary child removal cases is lower. Although the custody interest at stake in a temporary removal proceeding is different from that of Santosky, the harmful psychological effects that stay with children that have been separatedfrom their home, even temporarily, are irreversible and are often omitted from the court's analysis in adjudicating those children. This Note examines two different evidentiary standards required by states and their effects on state child welfare systems and the families that become involved in such proceedings. While many states maintain a "preponderance o f the evidence '' standardfor temporary child removals, this lower evidentiary bar inevitably allows for more child removals at an earlier stage with a significant number of cases that end up being unsubstantiated. This Note argues that states should move away from adjudication and provide alternative resources forfamilies involved in lowrisk cases in order to avoid unnecessary separation while protecting the children that these systems were meant to protect. While ensuring a safe environment for a child should be a priority, taking a child away from his or her home and family should not be taken lightly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND After divorce, at least one of the partners usually relocates and, according to past research, it is more often the woman. Women's housing conditions are likely to worsen. Divorces where children are involved are frequent and shared custody arrangements are becoming more common in Europe. OBJECTIVE This paper analyses the extent to which residential mobility after divorce is linked to parental status and child custody arrangements in France, a topic that remains largely unstudied. We assess not only the probability of moving but also the distance of the move and changes in housing conditions. METHODS We apply logistic and linear regressions to different indicators from a recent administrative database, the French Permanent Demographic Sample, 2010-2013, which makes it possible to track divorced people and their households over time. RESULTS One year after divorce, women are more likely to move than men, although the gender gap is narrower for parents. While sole custody is associated with fewer moves than noncustody for both sexes, shared custody arrangements imply many more moves for mothers than for fathers. Parents more often move near their previous joint home than nonparents, especially those with shared custody. Housing conditions do not necessarily deteriorate after separation, but women are often disadvantaged compared with men. CONTRIBUTION This paper expands on the current literature in that it addresses changes in residency after separation by including the effects of parental status and child custody arrangements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Child & Adolescent Psychology / Revista de Psicologia da Criança e do Adolescente is the property of Fundacao Minerva-Cultura-Ensino e Investigacao Cientifica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This research studies the use of gendered mental-health labels, such as "crazy," "hysterical," "insane," and "emotionally unstable," in Canadian custody cases decided between 2000 and 2016. Building on Judith Mosoff's work on gender and mental health stigma in custody proceedings, it maps how these "pop-psychology" labels impact custody litigation. This investigation reveals that mental-health labels serve to discredit the mother, attack her parenting abilities, and distract from her allegations of violence by the father. The article also explores fathers', mental health experts', and judges' roles in framing the mother's credibility and parental capacity with regard to her alleged mental instability. It observes how the unjustified use of mental-health labels can backfire against the father, and how mothers can link out-of-court mental-health insults to legal arguments supporting their claim for custody. Although producing varied consequences, mental-health labels often reinforce gender biases and myths regarding domestic violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United States Supreme Court has not articulated the appropriate level of scrutiny for judicial review of interferences with the parents' care, custody, and control of their children, despite determining it to be constitutionally fundamental. While some observers have called for the selection of a level of scrutiny to prevent inconsistencies among the lower courts, the complexity of the parental right has made it difficult for courts to use one level of scrutiny in such cases. To accommodate this complexity, this Article begins to build a new framework for conceptualizing the parental right in a way that explains and justifies using more than one level of scrutiny in a consistent and predictable way, depending on the specific parental issue at stake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The notion of parental authority introduced to Romanian legislation by the New Romanian Civil Code is totally distinct from the notion of custody specific to other domestic legislations both in theory, as in practical consequences implied. The purpose of the article is to make a comparative presentation of the two different notions mentioned above, as they are (still) constantly confused, even though a significant period of time has elapsed since the New Romanian Civil Code entered into force. Confusion comes mainly from the fact that Romanian Civil Code was inspired from Quebec Civil Code, where the legislation formally refers to the notion of parental authority, but in substance this notion presents nevertheless the caharacteristics of the concept of custody. Therefore, the objectives of the present study are to identify the content and forms regulated in legislation for each of the notions, by studying legal provisions relevant for parental authority in Romanian legislation, respectively custody in national legislations of other states. As a result, the main theoretical resemblances and differences between the two concepts will be decelated. Furthermore, the study will identify the practical consequences generated by their common points (important decisions are to be taken by agreement of both parents, whereas routine decisions can be made individually) and main differences (domicile of the child/alternate domicile and rights of access). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]