Empirical Study on the Post-Divorce Living Conditions and the Attitudes toward Support for Children of Non-custodial Fathers

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K02135
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 08010:Sociology-related
• Research Institution: The Open University of Japan
• Principal Investigator: Shimoebisu Miyuki 放送大学, 教養学部, 教授 (50277894)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 離婚 / 父親 / 扶養

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study revealed that non-custodial fathers' post-divorce life conditions and their attitudes toward support for their children differ depending on the individual circumstances of the divorce process and the relationship between the parties, and the factors involved are complex. Based on these results, the following can be said about the child support system. It is necessary to establish a reasonable system that ensures that child support payments are fulfilled by accurately ascertaining the support capacity of the non-custodial parent, including income and other support obligations, without assuming a normative image of the divorced father or an ideal image of the divorced couple.

Free Research Field

家族社会学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

これまで、離婚母子世帯に対する調査研究によって監護親である母親の状況は知られていたが、非監護親である父親に関する情報は限られていた。本研究により、これまで明らかにされてこなかった、子と離別した父親の離婚後の生活と扶養意識の解明が進んだことは学術的に意義がある。また、政府内において離婚後の子の養育をめぐる法制度の検討が行われているなか、本研究成果は養育費確保制度の構築に向けた議論の進展に資するものとして社会的意義がある。