Young Children, Attachment Security, and Parenting Schedules

The focus of a recent Family Court Review Special Issue on attachment, separation, and divorce included perspectives primarily from researchers in the Bowlby/Ainsworth tradition. A number of the authors made recommendations against overnight visits for very young children. I review conceptualizations and measures of attachment security as well as empirical findings. Currently the foundation to make general recommendations regarding overnight visits is inadequate. Caution is needed in using attachment measures in court evaluations and regarding restrictive legal presumptions and theoretical orientations. Custody and access evaluations and decisions need to apply scientifically sound principles to the individual characteristics of each case.