Robert E. Emery University of Virginia

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Robert E. EmeryUniversity of Virginia

• Professor of Psychology and Author
• The Truth about Children and Divorce
• Dealing with the Emotions So You and Your
  Children Can Thrive
• New York Viking/Penguin, 2004

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Some Nuanced Truths about Children and Divorce

• Children do best in happy married families and
  most children do equally well in happy divorced
  families
• Divorce poses risks for children and most
  children from divorced families are resilient
• Parental conflict is toxic after separation and
  in marriage
• We can encourage happy marriage and we can help
  divorced and single parent families

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Take Home Policy Points

• Encourage diverse, happy, even good enough
  marriage, if only through public discussion
• Goal Make marriage better, not divorce worse
• Support cooperative parenting through divorce
  with mediation, education, unified family courts
• Goal Happy two-parent family after divorce
• Really focus on children
• On the responsibilities not the rights of
  parents
• Goal Parents need to be parents, so kids can be
  kids