Problemerne i det familieretlige system er veldokumenterede, og forskningen, der viser, at børn trives bedst i deleordninger, bliver stadigt mere robust.

Vi har samlet kilder, der danner grundlag for vores politik og giver indblik i forskning og viden fra både Danmark og udlandet.

Som supplement har vi udarbejdet en oversigtsartikel, der samler hovedkonklusionerne fra centrale studier – med de nødvendige nuancer. Et godt sted at starte, hvis man vil have det samlede overblik.


Hvorfor interessere sig for sagen?

Inden man går i dybden med forskning og artikler, er det værd at forholde sig til problemets omfang i form af kolde tal. Følgende er cirkatal baseret på Danmarks Statistik samt VIVE’s rapport om ‘Børn og unge i Danmark’ fra 2022.:

  • Antal børn med skilte forældre: 270.000

  • Antal børn i en 40/60 eller 50/50 deleordning: 110.000

  • Antal børn med mindre end 40% samvær med den ene forælder: 116.000

  • Antal børn uden kontakt med den ene forælder: 43.000


Langt over halvdelen af børn fra brudte familier har altså ikke lige meget kontakt med begge deres forældre, og over 40.000 børn har slet ingen kontakt til den ene af deres forældre.

Implikationer

Det uhyggeligt høje antal børn uden kontakt til en forælder er en tragedie – både for børnene og for de forældre, der mister muligheden for at være en del af deres barns liv. Det er veldokumenteret, at manglende kontakt til en forælder har negative konsekvenser for børns trivsel og senere livsvilkår. Bag hvert barn uden kontakt ligger der desuden ofte en langvarig og belastende retssag med stærkt skadelige følger for barnet.

De cirka 116.000 børn, som har mindre end 40 % samvær med den ene forælder, trives sandsynligvis dårligere, end de ville gøre med lige kontakt – og mange af dem har desuden oplevet, at forældrene har været i konflikt netop om samværet.

Fra et humanistisk perspektiv er det tragisk, at så mange børn skal vokse op med begrænset – og i alt for mange tilfælde ingen – kontakt til en af deres forældre.

Samfundsmæssigt er det en katastrofe, fordi børns mistrivsel koster dyrt både under opvæksten og senere i voksenlivet, når arrene fra en barndom præget af begrænset kontakt og forældrekonflikter skal bearbejdes.

Selve konflikten om fordelingen af samvær er også ekstremt ressourcekrævende. Hvert år behandles omkring 12.000 sager, som involverer familieretshuset, familieretten, kommuner, skoler og institutioner – og som kræver tusindvis af sagsbehandlere, psykologer og dommere. Hertil kommer forældrenes store udgifter til advokater, tabt arbejdsfortjeneste og den enorme personlige belastning, fordi sagerne ofte overskygger alt andet i deres liv.

Derfor er det presserende at finde en løsning – og derfor håber vi, at du vil støtte vores sag.

Kilder:

https://www.dst.dk/da/Statistik/emner/borgere/husstande-og-familieforhold/boern

https://www.vive.dk/media/pure/0xgg53xk/14872861

Støt nu

Artikel udarbejdet af Fælles Forældreskab

Fælles Forældreskab (2025). Why joint physical custody (JPC) is better for children in post-separation arrangements – a literature review.

Centrale danske analyser og udgivelser

Forældreansvarsloven, https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2020/1768

”Børn i deleordninger” af Mai Heide Ottosen for VIVE, https://www.vive.dk/da/udgivelser/boern-i-deleordninger-jvn8nevm/

”Samvær til barnets bedste” af Mai Heide Ottosen for VIVE, https://www.vive.dk/da/udgivelser/samvaer-til-barnets-bedste-4z69nozq/

”Samvær og børns trivsel , af Mai Heide Ottosen for VIVE, https://www.vive.dk/da/udgivelser/samvaer-og-boerns-trivsel-3vyryjxy/

Statistik om delebørn, https://www.dst.dk/da/Statistik/nyheder-analyser-publ/bagtal/2019/2019-02-18-brud-i-familier-gaar-i-arv#:~:text=Knap%20hver%20fjerde%20barn%20var,da%20de%20fyldte%2018%20%C3%A5r.

”Shared parenting and father involvement after divorce in Denmark”,  artikel af Kristian Sandberg, https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1223574/full

Centrale artikler i spørgsmålet om effekten af deleordninger

Adamsons, K. (2018). Quantity versus quality of nonresident father involvement: Deconstructing the argument that quantity doesn’t matter. Journal of Child Custody, 15(1), 26–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/15379418.2018.1437002

Adamsons, K., & Johnson, S. (2013). An updated and expanded meta-analysis of nonresident fathering and child well-being. Journal of Family Psychology, 27(4), 589–599. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0033786

Amato, P. R., & Gilbreth, J. G. (1999). Nonresident fathers and children’s well-being: A meta-analysis. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 61(3), 557–573. https://doi.org/10.2307/353560

Bala, N., Birnbaum, R., Poitras, K., Saini, M., Cyr, F., & LeClair, S. (2017). Shared parenting in Canada: Increasing use but continued controversy. Family Court Review, 55(4), 513–530. https://doi.org/10.1111/fcre.12300

Barumandzadeh, R., Martin-Lebrun, E., Barumandzadeh, T., & Poussin, G. (2016). The impact of parental conflict and the mitigating effect of joint custody after divorce or separation. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 57(3), 212–223. https://doi.org/10.1080/10502556.2016.1150150

Bastaits, K., & Mortelmans, D. (2016). Parenting as mediator between post-divorce family structure and children’s well-being. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 25(7), 2178–2188. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-016-0395-8

Bastaits, K., Ponnet, K., & Mortelmans, D. (2014). Do divorced fathers matter? The impact of parenting styles of divorced fathers on the well-being of the child. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 55(5), 363–390. https://doi.org/10.1080/10502556.2014.920682

Baude, A., Pearson, J., & Drapeau, S. (2016). Child adjustment in joint physical custody versus sole custody: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 57(5), 338–360. https://doi.org/10.1080/10502556.2016.1185203

Bauserman, R. (2002). Child adjustment in joint-custody versus sole-custody arrangements: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Family Psychology, 16(1), 91–102. https://doi.org/10.1037//0893-3200.16.1.91

Bauserman, R. (2012). A meta-analysis of parental satisfaction, adjustment, and conflict in joint custody and sole custody following divorce. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 53(6), 464–488. https://doi.org/10.1080/10502556.2012.682901

Bergström, M., Fransson, E., Fabian, H., Hjern, A., Sarkadi, A., & Salari, R. (2018). Preschool children living in joint physical custody arrangements show less psychological symptoms than those living mostly or only with one parent. Acta Paediatrica, 107(2), 294–300. https://doi.org/10.1111/apa.14055

Bergström, M., Fransson, E., Hjern, A., Köhler, L., & Wallby, T. (2014). Mental health in Swedish children living in joint physical custody and their parents’ life satisfaction. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 55(5), 433–439. https://doi.org/10.1111/sjop.12148

Bergström, M., Fransson, E., Modin, B., Berlin, M., Gustafsson, P. A., & Hjern, A. (2015). Fifty moves a year: Is there an association between joint physical custody and psychosomatic problems in children? Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 69(8), 769–774. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2014-205058

Bergström, M., Modin, B., Fransson, E., Rajmil, L., Berlin, M., Gustafsson, P. A., & Hjern, A. (2013). Living in two homes: A Swedish national survey of well-being in 12 and 15 year olds with joint physical custody. BMC Public Health, 13(1), 868. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-13-868

Birnbaum, R., & Saini, M. (2015). A qualitative synthesis of children’s experiences of shared care post-divorce. International Journal of Children’s Rights, 23(1), 109–132. https://doi.org/10.1163/15718182-02301005

Bjarnason, T., & Arnarsson, Á. (2011). Joint physical custody and communication with parents: A cross-national study of children in 36 Western countries. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 42(6), 871–890. https://doi.org/10.3138/jcfs.42.6.871

Bjarnason, T., Bendtsen, P., Arnarsson, Á., Borup, I., Iannotti, R. J., Löfstedt, P., & Niclasen, B. (2012). Life satisfaction among children in different family structures: A comparative study of 36 Western societies. Children & Society, 26(1), 51–62. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1099-0860.2010.00324.x

Breivik, K., & Olweus, D. (2006). Adolescent’s adjustment in four post-divorce family structures. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 44(3–4), 99–124. https://doi.org/10.1300/J087v44n03_07

Buchanan, C. M., Maccoby, E. E., & Dornbusch, S. M. (1996). Adolescents after divorce. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Carlsund, Å., Eriksson, U., Lefstedt, P., & Sellström, E. (2012). Risk behavior in Swedish adolescents: Is shared physical custody a risk or a protective factor? European Journal of Public Health, 23(1), 3–7. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/cks011

Carlsund, Å., Eriksson, U., & Sellström, E. (2013). Shared physical custody: Implications for health and well-being in Swedish schoolchildren. Acta Paediatrica, 102(3), 318–323. https://doi.org/10.1111/apa.12110

Cashmore, J., & Parkinson, P. (2011). Shared care parenting arrangements since the 2006 family law reforms: Report to the Australian Government. Sydney: Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales.

Donnelly, D., & Finkelhor, D. (1992). Does equality in custody arrangement improve the parent–child relationship? Journal of Marriage and the Family, 54(4), 837–845. https://doi.org/10.2307/353165

Drapeau, S., Baude, A., Quellet, J., Godbout, E., & Ivers, H. (2017). Relationships between postdivorce custody arrangements, family contexts and children’s adjustment. Journal of Child Custody, 14(1), 1–33. https://doi.org/10.1080/15379418.2017.1312659

Fabricius, W. V. (2003). Listening to children of divorce: New findings that diverge from Wallerstein, Lewis, and Blakeslee. Family Relations, 52(4), 385–396. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2003.00385.x

Fabricius, W. V., & Luecken, L. J. (2007). Postdivorce living arrangements, parent conflict, and long-term physical health correlates for children of divorce. Journal of Family Psychology, 21(2), 195–205. https://doi.org/10.1037/0893-3200.21.2.195

Fabricius, W. V., Sokol, K. R., Diaz, P., & Braver, S. L. (2012). Parenting time, parent conflict, parent–child relationships, and children’s physical health. In L. Drozd & K. Kuehnle (Eds.), Parenting plan evaluations: Applied research for the family court (pp. 188–214). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Fabricius, W. V., & Suh, G. W. (2017). Should infants and toddlers have frequent overnight parenting time with fathers? The policy debate and new data. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 23(1), 68–84. https://doi.org/10.1037/law0000108

Faust, J., Ko, C., Alexander, A., & Greenhawt, M. (2017). Parent–child gender matching and child psychological adjustment after divorce. Journal of Child Custody, 14(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1080/15379418.2017.1312658

Fehlberg, B., Smyth, B., Maclean, M., & Roberts, C. (2011). Legislating for shared time parenting after separation: A research review. International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family, 25(3), 318–337. https://doi.org/10.1093/lawfam/ebr015

Frank, H. (2007). Young adults’ relationship with parents and siblings: The influence of marital status and birth order. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 46(3–4), 105–124. https://doi.org/10.1300/J087v46n03_07

Fransson, E., Låftman, S. B., Östberg, V., Hjern, A., & Bergström, M. (2017). The living conditions of children with shared residence – the Swedish example. Child Indicators Research, 11(3), 861–883. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-017-9451-9

Fransson, E., Turunen, J., Hjern, A., Östberg, V., & Bergström, M. (2016). Psychological complaints among children in joint physical custody and other family types: Considering parental factors. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 44(2), 177–183. https://doi.org/10.1177/1403494815614463

Hagquist, C. (2016). Family residency and psychosomatic problems among adolescents in Sweden: The impact of child–parent relations. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 44(1), 36–46. https://doi.org/10.1177/1403494815610664

Havermans, N., Sodermans, A. K., & Matthijs, K. (2017). Residential arrangements and children’s school engagement. Youth & Society, 49(8), 1104–1122. https://doi.org/10.1177/0044118X15581167

Hjern, A., Bergström, M., Kjaer Urhoj, S., & Nybo Andersen, A. M. (2021). Early childhood social determinants and family relationships predict parental separation and living arrangements thereafter. Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992), 110(1), 247–254. https://doi.org/10.1111/apa.15322

Johnston, J. R., Kline, M., & Tschann, J. (1989). Ongoing postdivorce conflict: Effects on children of joint custody and frequent access to fathers. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 59(4), 576–592. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1939-0025.1989.tb02748.x

Kaspiew, R., Gray, M., Weston, R., Moloney, L., Hand, K., & Qu, L. (2009). Evaluation of the 2006 family law reforms in Australia. Melbourne: Australian Institute of Family Studies.

Kitterød, R. H., & Wiik, K. A. (2017). Shared residence among parents living apart in Norway. Family Court Review, 55(4), 556–571. https://doi.org/10.1111/fcre.12304

Kline, M., Tschann, J., Johnston, J. R., & Wallerstein, J. (1989). Children’s adjustment in joint and sole physical custody families. Developmental Psychology, 25(3), 430–438. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.25.3.430

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Lee, M. Y. (2002). Children’s adjustment in maternal and dual residence arrangements. Journal of Family Issues, 23(5), 671–687. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X02023005005

Lodge, J., & Alexander, M. (2010). Views of adolescents in separated families: A study of adolescents’ experiences after a decade of reform. Melbourne: Australian Institute of Family Studies.

Luepnitz, D. A. (1986). A comparison of maternal, paternal, and joint custody: Understanding the varieties of post-divorce family life. Journal of Divorce, 9(3), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1300/J279v09n03_01

Mahrer, N. E., O'Hara, K., Sandler, I. N., & Wolchik, S. A. (2018). Does Shared Parenting Help or Hurt Children in High Conflict Divorced Families?. Journal of divorce & remarriage, 59(4), 324–347. https://doi.org/10.1080/10502556.2018.1454200

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Warshak, R. A. (2018). Night Shifts: Revisiting Blanket Restrictions on Children’s Overnights With Separated Parents. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 59(4), 282–323. https://doi.org/10.1080/10502556.2018.1454193

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