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From Conflict to Family Trauma

NCT07134322 · Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING · Type: OBSERVATIONAL · Enrollment: 200

Last updated 2025-08-21

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

This project will examine the experience of the researcher as expert in the family court dealing with questions regarding family units, in conflict and children, victims of the family conflict, victims of abuse and neglect, often repeated over time.After the first consultation, family conflict often recurs, without regard for the treatment received, returning to the civil courts and sometimes to the criminal courts. There are three possibilities at this point, following the first decision of the court (a) there is a separation that resolves conflicts and leads to an improvement in outcomes for the children concerned; (b) pre-existing conditions specific to the children concerned continue, and the decision of the court regading separation has no effect; (c) conflict between the parents continues, with repeated returns to the civil courts, failure of processes of mediation and negotiation, and continuing or exacerbated trauma to the child leading to worse outcomes; (d) where there is a worse outcome, this may be due to the lack of supports following the expert psychological assessment and recommendation to the court..The forensic evaluation of the family often refers the family to public health services for therapeutic interventions and social supports. The lack of these interventions and supports of public health services may exacerbate the family trauma. This may occur (a) because the family conflict continues in the absence of the interventions and supports; (b) because the family trauma is exacerbated by continuing court proceedings because the conflict between parents concerning the care and placement of the children leads to prolonged legal proceedings and may result in worse outcomes for the children, such as criminal behaviour as this struggle continues. The child is 'instrumentalised', used as a pawn or weapon in the struggle between the parents. The research project aims first of all to outline, on the basis of the data to be acquired, (a) whether there is evidence that the decision of the court guided by the expert opinion and recommendations has a beneficial effect on outcomes for the child; (b) specific lines of treatment intervention and better packages of care and support to enhance good outcomes and minimise or prevent these adverse outcomes, under the supervision of the judge.

Conditions

  • Family Conflict
  • Family Characteristics
  • Family Dysfunctional

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

The aim of this research is to record how many families go to court for the breakdown of parent-child relationships and to understand how many of these families, one year after the judge's ruling, hav

This is the first qualitative and quantitative study on conflict-ridden families who go to court and involve social and psychological support services. Furthermore, the survey will provide precise data on the extent of the phenomenon being investigated.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • University of Roma La Sapienza

    collaborator OTHER

  • University of Bari Aldo Moro

    lead OTHER

Eligibility

Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-02-08
Primary Completion
2026-08-08
Completion
2026-12-20

More Related Trials

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07134322 on ClinicalTrials.gov