Children in dual-residence arrangements: a literature review

Abstract

Dual residence is a post-divorce living arrangement where children spend up to 50% of their time in each parent’s household after separation or divorce. Reflecting societal changes and shifting norms, these arrangements have increased in many Western societies during recent years. The consequences for children have attracted much interest, resulting in a growing body of research. This literature review has a broad scope, reviewing three decades’ international research about children’s dual-residence arrangements (111 peer-reviewed articles in total) with the aim of analysing the development of the research field. Findings demonstrate that research on the topic has progressed since the first-generation studies and reached several important conclusions. However, it is geographically restricted and heterogeneous in terms of disciplinary perspectives, the choice of aspects to investigate, methodology, data and research design. Furthermore, diverse terms, definitions and cultural, demographic and jurisdictional contexts complicate cross-country comparisons. While some distinct components of dual-residence arrangements seem to increase the likelihood of positive outcomes for children, this study points out the difficulties in using the cumulative body of research in the field when drawing conclusions and making recommendations for practice. Despite the rapidly growing body of research, essential gaps in our understanding of dual residence still remain.

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