Suzanonline,
There have only been two surveys regards parent satisfaction of custody arrangement after seperation.

One found 70% of men were not satisfied, and the other found 75% of men were not satisfied. Interestingly, one found about 40% of mothers wanted the father to have more contact with their children (while 75% of the fathers in the same survey wanted more contact with their children).

The belief that "the vast majority of separating couples seem able to amicably work out the child custody arrangements for the benefit of all the family" is based on no research, and is a feminist muyh or feminist lie.

Cold North Wind,
You didn't mention the mother who jumped off the same bridge carrying a child. Both were killed.

You probably knew about this but didn't mention it.

Sexual abuse of children by the father is very minimal, and constitutes one of the least likly forms of abuse. Child neglect is the most common form of abuse, and occurs most often in single parent families.

Vanna, of course men aren't satisfied with the lack of contact they have with their kids after a separation. In most cases neither parent is with the kids as often as they used to be. No one is satisfied after a separation, least of all the kids!

Amazingly, most parents want their children to be happy. Most kids want to see BOTH their parents as often as possible, and preferably want all the family living together in one house.

When that isn't possible, everyone has to make compromises for the sake of the children. The trouble begins when one or both parents put revenge or their own selfish needs before the children's needs.

All the statistics, parents groups and university feminists are never going to change any of those facts.

Separation; Why have self determined separation. There should be a much more analys of a separation request.
The family unit is meant to be a whole.
To take a kids mother or father away from them surely there should be more scrutinization. That is child abuse. You determine the kids religion before birth, yet you take one or more parents away from them after birth. It is a lifetime commitment. Kids are treated as disposable. That is child abuse.
Kids facing a life of bastardry. That is child abuse.
You need to work out what constitutes child abuse before you can discuss such a thing.

Coldnorthwind

It is easy to express sadness at the murder of a child, such as Darcey Freeman, who you mentioned. It is impossible to design a legal system that guarantees no such incidents will occur. For example, no-one predicted that Darcy Freeman's father was a risk to his kids and it certainly isn't true that family court ignored evidence that he should be kept away from them. See http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/02/06/2484688.htm for more details.

Many people are agitating for the current system to change for their own selfish reasons and pretending that they care only about the children. Be a little bit suspicious.

Suze

Thank-you for trying to understand the concerns of Robert and myself.

Coldnorthwind

<A grandmother from Virginia has been arrested and charged with the murder of her two-year-old granddaughter after she threw her down several stories at a shopping mall.>

You wrote an emotive post, yet things happened that are not always predictable.

James et al. I refer to cases that were predicted by a non abusing parent, backed up by hospital and police reports.All ignored by the use of - a theory instead of evidence. The shared parenting imposition augmented the chances of abusers of all stripes, to gain custody of hapless victims.I repeat, in my opinion, the article by Mr.Pragnall , illustrated some excellent points that obviously could bear repeatiing -