Who Started It Doesn’t
Necessarily Matter!
Remember in the Wizard of Oz, when Dorothy began her stroll down the
Yellow Brick Road? Eventually she came upon a fork in the road. There
she stood, unable to determine which way to go until the voice of the
Scarecrow came from behind. With arms folded one over the other and
fingers pointing out in opposite directions, he said, “some folks
go that way (pointing in one direction), and others go that way (pointing
in the other direction).”
Sitting between parents in a high conflict situation with regard to
custody and access issues is like watching the scarecrow. However, with
separated parents they are both pointing at each other, each blaming
the other for initiating and maintaining their conflict. In many instances,
both have contributed to their mutual conflict and hence both feel justified
at incriminating the other. Regardless of who started it, in many instances
it is clear, they both maintain it. As a concept this is known as circular
causality.
The issue of determining who started the conflict takes on significant
meaning for separated parents. They hold a belief that by determining
who started it and affixing blame, the alternate parent will not only
be vindicated, but that their position with respect to a solution of
the actual custody/access dilemma will take precedence. To this end,
parents in high conflict entrench themselves in their position, behaviours
that actually contribute to the very conflict from which they seek relief.
The mediator, assessor or parenting coordinator appointed to relieve
the conflict, normalize relations and facilitate the children’s
development between separated parents obtains a history of the situation.
The purpose is not to determine and ascribe blame, but to understand
the dynamics and behavioural specifics of the conflict that continue
to keep it alive. The goal of intervention, be it mediation, assessment,
court order or parenting coordinator is to interrupt the sequences of
behaviours leading to circular causality, in favour of creating new
behavioural sequences that promote healthy relationships and the child’s
reasonable psycho-social development.
This is a challenge. Parents in high conflict are reluctant to let
go their position, present with a strong need to be vindicated and often
do lose sight of the long-term needs of their children. In many cases,
this situation is exacerbated by lawyers who are more apt to fight their
client’s cause versus facilitate agreement even in the face of
differences of opinion.
Children who fair better with regard to psycho-social well-being, have
at least one parent who is able to forgo a determination of “who
was right and who was wrong”, in favour of developing agreements
to act reasonably and structure custody and access arrangements that
facilitate all pertinent relationships.
Where parents are seemingly unable or unwilling to cease their role
in the battle, they are advised to attend with a Parenting Coordinator,
a parenting expert empowered to act as arbitrator. One thing is certain,
separated parents continuing to behave in their usual manner will likely
continue to live in conflict and hence rear children who in turn will
experience distress, However, if parents agree to heed the direction
of the Parenting Coordinator and let go the need to determine who was
right and who was wrong, have the opportunity to escape the trap of
circular causality and move forward to healthy and constructive living.
Given the history of conflict, the parentis will likely begin with
no faith or hope. However, faith and hope are not prerequisites for
success; only commitment to following through as directed. Faith and
hope can develop over time, the result of behavioural action.
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