Children, Families and Law

3 Credits · Level: Graduate

In general, U.S. law presumes that parents have their child's best interests at heart, and that, in turn, parents are given the rights and responsibilities of raising children as they see fit, albeit within some broad parameters established by the state. In this course we will investigate the explicit and implicit assumptions made by the legal system about the ways children and adolescents think, understand, and behave; whether and how parents fulfill their rights and responsibilities; and how the legal system ensures or undermines safety and well being in families. Psychology research and practice can inform several areas of law and policy, including child maltreatment adolescent reproductive rights, youth delinquency, child custody, and education, among others. Throughout the semester we will evaluate the capacities that youths, families, and the state bring to these issues.