Gender Differences in Relationships between Divorced Parents and Their Adult Children: The Role of Past Physical Custody Arrangements

Anne Brons , Utrecht University
Weverthon Machado, Utrecht University
Anne-Rigt Poortman, Universiteit Utrecht

Compared with divorced mothers, divorced fathers have less contact and lower quality relationships with their adult children. Sole mother custody being the most prevalent post-divorce arrangement is key in explaining this difference. The rise in joint physical custody (JPC) may, however, level the playing field among younger cohorts. Using recent, longitudinal data of divorced parents from the Netherlands (New Families in the Netherlands), we examine (a) the extent to which there are gender differences in parents’ contact with their adult children and the closeness of their relationships, and (b) the role of past custody arrangements in gender differences. NFN traced custody arrangements up to ten years since the parental union dissolution in 2010. As custody arrangements can change over time, we take a dynamic perspective. We assess the effects of ever having sole physical custody (SPC) and ever having JPC, as compared to always being a non-resident parent; as well as the duration spent in SPC and JPC. Preliminary analyses show that there are still gender differences in this cohort: for example, half of mothers reported being very close to the child, while 25% of fathers did so. In subsequent analyses we will address the role of past custody arrangements.

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 Presented in Session P1. Families, Fertility, and the Life Course 1