@article{KratkySchroederAbe2018,
  author    = {Kratky, Nicole and Schr{\"o}der-Ab{\´e}, Michela},
  title     = {How are parental functioning and single parenthood associated with court outcomes?},
  series = {Child Abuse \& Neglect},
  volume    = {84},
  journal   = {Child Abuse \& Neglect},
  publisher = {Elsevier},
  address   = {Oxford},
  issn      = {0145-2134},
  doi       = {10.1016/j.chiabu.2018.07.015},
  pages     = {95 -- 105},
  year      = {2018},
  abstract  = {Impaired parental functioning and single parenthood are considered risk factors for child maltreatment and being involved in the child protection context. Past research has shown that an impaired mental functioning and being a single parent are indicators of limited parenting resources. These risk factors are likely to be considered by family judges, which might lead to more intrusive court decisions concerning parental custody. To date, court data have rarely been investigated. The present study examined parental mental health and single parenthood using data from family law proceedings. The role of the fathers has been understudied and the few existing studies yielded contradictory results with respect to fathers' involvement as risk or protective factor. Therefore, the study included both fathers' data and mothers' data. A total of 220 child protection court files with 343 affected children were coded using a category system. Parental mental health was coded as parental functioning in daily life and was significantly associated with the court outcome. Multilevel mediation analyses showed a significant indirect effect of maternal functioning on the intrusiveness of the court decisions via child maltreatment. Single motherhood moderated the effect: The indirect effect was more pronounced for single mothers. This study contributes to a better understanding of the population getting before court and the judicial process. Psychological attributes do play a role in the decision-making of judges; and taking the role of the fathers into account is necessary.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{KratkySchroederAbe2020,
  author    = {Kratky, Nicole and Schr{\"o}der-Ab{\´e}, Michela},
  title     = {A court file analysis of child protection cases},
  series = {Child \& family social work},
  volume    = {25},
  journal   = {Child \& family social work},
  number    = {S1},
  publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell},
  address   = {Oxford},
  issn      = {1356-7500},
  doi       = {10.1111/cfs.12744},
  pages     = {169 -- 177},
  year      = {2020},
  abstract  = {Children's participation in legal proceedings affecting them personally has been gaining importance. So far, a primary research concern has been how children experience their participation in court proceedings. However, little is known about the child's voice itself: Are children able to clearly express their wishes, and if so, what do they say in child protection cases? In this study, we extracted information about children's statements from court file data of 220 child protection cases in Germany. We found 182 children were asked about their wishes. The majority of the statements found came either from reports of the guardians ad litem or from judicial records of the child hearings. Using content analysis, three main aspects of the statements were extracted: wishes concerning main place of residence, wishes about whom to have or not contact with, and children granting decision-making authority to someone else. Children's main focus was on their parents, but others (e.g., relatives and foster care providers) were also mentioned. Intercoder agreement was substantial. Making sure that child hearings are as informative as possible is in the child's best interest. Therefore, the categories developed herein might help professionals to ask questions more precisely relevant to the child.},
  language  = {en}
}