On this video, see and hear Dr. Warshak deliver what he considers one of his finest speeches. This entertaining and very well-received keynote address was delivered to an audience of judges, attorneys, and mental health professionals.

Dr. Warshak explains why and how children can make important contributions to custody decisions. But he
cautions professionals about the risks of damage to children and their families when children participate in custody decisions. Dr. Warshak presents more than a dozen hazards that should be considered before eliciting and placing weight on children’s and adolescent’s stated preferences in custody disputes. He highlights the harm for the family when a child publically takes a stand against a parent and he illustrates the manner in which therapists can involve children without placing them in the middle of their parents’ conflicts. Dr. Warshak then introduces the concept of the “collective voice of children” to describe how research can bring children’s voices into custody decisions while sparing children the pitfalls of direct participation.