In choosing a set of materials for a divorce education program, as with any intervention program, it is critical that one have confidence in both the appeal of the materials for the clients, as well as in the effectiveness of the materials. It would be a waste of scarce resources, as well as clients' time, to have a well-liked program which doesn't teach new skills and behaviors, or an effective program which parents dislike.
We at the Center for Divorce Education take these concerns very seriously. We are constantly researching various aspects of our programs, and using the results of our studies to improve our materials. While there are several divorce education programs available, and many videos, few have ever been rigorously evaluated, and none are more effective than Children in the Middle.
Briefly summarized to the right are several outcome studies not only for Children in the Middle but also for After the Storm. Contact us if you would like further information or updates.
A video-based intervention (Children in the Middle, first edition) taught children how to respond effectively when caught in the middle of disputes between their divorced or separated parents. Participants were 33 fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade students. After the treatment groups had viewed Children in the Middle , they rated...More »
Children from divorced families are caught in the middle of parental conflicts significantly more often and experience more stress than children from intact homes. In this study, we used a brief educational intervention to assess whether or not parents would change their behaviors if given information about how often children fe...More »
A group of 26 courts using all or a portion of the Children in the Middle video for at least two years was interviewed regarding their practices and impressions. Programs typically had 1-3 sessions lasting 1-4 hours each. Half used ancillary materials (such as What About the Children: A Guide for Divorced and Divorcing Parents)....More »
Over 100 parents in a medium-sized city filing court actions for divorce or post-divorce issues involving children were court-ordered to attend a 2-hour parent education class built around the video, Children in the Middle (first edition). A 2-year follow-up showed that relitigation rates for parents in the treatment group was o...More »
In a court-mandated, child-focused class for divorcing parents (based on the video, Children in the Middle, first edition), parental mastery of skills taught were evaluated both immediately after the class and 6 months later. Parents perceived the class content to be realistic and useful. Skills were effectively learned and were...More »
A nationwide survey of practitioner-level mediators (n = 253) was conducted in order to ascertain their views of the effectiveness of divorce education programs for parents on both the process and outcome of divorce mediation. Over three-quarters of the respondents (77%) reported that divorce education programs were available in...More »