A lot of changes involved in divorce, some of which can be difficult for the former couple to handle, and of course, the children. In majority of U.S. states, it is mandatory that divorcing couples with children should take a co-parenting course before the final ending of a marriage. Studies have found that one of the online courses offered can be quite helpful.
These courses were found to be timely, considering the conflict between parents during the period of separation. According to Bowers, it has been proven that conflict between parents significantly contribute to child maladjustment and behavior issues among the youth. Bowers is a researcher with the Family Resiliency Center, University of Illinois, Urbana.
She added that the inter-paternal conflict has greater effect on the children than the divorce itself. Previous research endeavors have also suggested that when parents cooperarate and work to minimize conflict, children respond better.This is the reason why the policies supporting the classes give much attention to the children's welfare. "The aim is to help parents cooperatively communicate, minimize conflict, and communicate with their child about the divorce," she said.
Bowers and colleagues reviewed these courses, and the results were published in the Journal of Divorce and Remarriage. The team looked at online co-parenting courses that were involved in past divorce proceedings. they reviewed the design of the program as well as its content, looking at the topics involved and the extent to which these courses are generally empirically-based.
One of the significant things the researchers discovered was that active instructional methods were more effective than the passive ones. In active methods, the participants are given the space to reflect on a topic or develop a plan; in passive methods, participants are only asked to listen or read.
Results also revealed that that parents perceive that the biggest benefit from the courses was improved communication with their children. It was also found that men were more likely to find the program as useful.
Bowers and colleagues concluded that the co-parenting program was generally effective, although improvements were also suggested, such as more child-focused content.