The project aims to develop knowledge about the situation of children involved in high-conflict custody disputes, particularly in cases involving allegations of violence, and to examine how courts assess children's rights, needs, and protection.
The Children in Custody Disputes (Barn-i-Tvist) project examines how courts handle disputes concerning children's residence and contact arrangements following parental separation, with particular attention to judicial discretion in relation to children's right to family life, need for protection, and opportunities for participation. The project seeks to establish the handling of custody disputes by public institutions as a strategically important area of research at OsloMet.
The project consists of three work packages that will:
- bring together existing expertise in an interdisciplinary research group at OsloMet, with links to external research environments in the field
- conduct a pilot analysis of an extensive dataset of district court judgments, including an examination of the courts' assessments of risk and evidence, evaluations of parenting, and approaches to children's rights
- develop a research proposal on how courts and welfare services handle parental conflicts
The project will produce practice-relevant findings, contribute to competence development within the courts and welfare services, and strengthen research-based teaching.
Ths project is part of OsloMet's strategic research area Inclusion of More Children and Young People.
Participants
Partner institutions
- The Norwegian Courts Administration
- OsloMet University Library
