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Essay / Discussion Supporting Equality in Child Guardianship in Divorce
As divorce rates rise dramatically, child custody decisions are still often made in accordance with traditional assumptions about role of parents in the lives of children. The popular view that children of divorcing parents should reside with the mother is the result of prejudices that women are better suited to shoulder parental responsibilities. In cases where the father is the most appropriate parent to provide custody of the child, he may not be given due consideration in official custody decisions. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayCustody decisions are made in accordance with the most practical way of caring for a child, with each parent assuming responsibility for responsibilities he had in the past. . (Frequently Asked Questions) This is where bias carries the most weight in custody decisions, where women are more supportive. When someone thinks of the word mother, that person will most likely create an association with the keeper of the home. While it is true that women are traditionally responsible for the maintenance of the home and the general well-being of children, this bias has carried over into child custody issues, leading to presumptions on the part of legal authorities on the role of each parent in the lives of children. childrenIn our time when the best interests of the child are increasingly taken into account in conflicts related to child custody, the bias of women in favor of greater household responsibilities still has a great influence on the opinions of many. Statistics from 1993 show that nearly 75 percent of those surveyed would be inclined to say that in a divorce agreement involving child custody, the mother would be more likely to obtain custody of the child. (Mason, 120) Although some would argue that women gain custody in the majority of cases, and thus fuel this opinion, it is precisely this bias that affects cases and official decisions. In custody disputes, the mother is often given more consideration than the father. Again, statistics show that in the majority of cases where the father is awarded custody, the mother works nights or participates in educational activities and is clearly incapable of properly caring for the child. (Mason, 133) This clearly proves that women are favored in custody decisions made by the court. Perhaps because of the recognition of the value of paternal instinct. For some reason, this is a precedent set in the past, and traditionally, many judges find it difficult to change the way they do things. (Frequently Asked Questions)Often the mother is perfectly capable of raising the child, but fails to achieve one area that should also be considered: moral responsibility. For this I can offer personal experience. In my case, both parents went through a divorce involving children. When my original mother and father divorced, custody of the children (my brother and I) was given to my mother. It was a valid decision because my original father was incredibly irresponsible in every sense of the word. When my stepfather divorced, custody of the children was also given to the mother. However, judgments on moral responsibility would have immediately declared her unfit to exercise parental responsibilities. Not only was she having an affair at the time of the divorce, but she also took advantage of my father-in-law's shock and stripped him of almost everything, including..