Home > Arhiva > 2011 > Numar: 3 > The Support Role of the Criminal Justice System in Providing the Welfare of the Children from Single-Parent Families

The Support Role of the Criminal Justice System in Providing the Welfare of the Children from Single-Parent Families

Maria Stoleru (Babeş-Bolyai University, Faculty of Sociology and Social Work, Bd. 21 Decembrie 1989, no.128-130, Cluj-Napoca, phone: + 40264-42.46.74, e-mail: maria_stoleru@yahoo.com)
Narcisa Radu (Bogdan Vodă University, Faculty of Law, Cluj-Napoca, Cluj-Napoca, Grigore Alexandrescu Street, 26A, phone: +40264- 598.787, e-mail: narcisaradu@gmail.com)
Imola Antal (Babeş-Bolyai University, Faculty of Sociology and Social Work, Bd. 21 Decembrie 1989, no.128-130, Cluj-Napoca, phone: + 40264-42.46.74, e-mail: imolaan@yahoo.com)
Júlia Szigeti (Babeş-Bolyai University, Faculty of Sociology and Social Work, Bd. 21 Decembrie 1989, no.128-130, Cluj-Napoca, phone: + 40264-42.46.74, e-mail:juliaszigeti@yahoo.com)

Very little research is focused on the role of the criminal justice system in assuring the welfare of the children coming from single parent families. Studying the criminal case files dealing with the desertion of family offence we have found out that the criminal justice system acts as a guarantee for the future payment of the child support by the noncustodial parents. Concerning the welfare of the single-parent family’s members, the main objective consists in developing strategies and alternative resources, designed to protect the members of these fragile families. The support role of the criminal justice system consists in the whole mechanism involved in the judicial process, from the moment of filing the complaint against the ex-partner in default of payment until the moment when he is brought to court in order to be convicted. In this way, it comes into prominence the necessity of transferring the responsibility of the welfare of single-parent family to the civil justice system with regard to finding a balance between the amounts of time spent with each parent and to supporting the collaboration between the two parents for the benefit of their child. One of the results of strengthening this relationship is an increase of the motivation level of the noncustodial parent with regard to the payment of child support, thus becoming an active participant in the child’s life.

Keywords: single parent family, family abandonment, child support, criminal justice system, child custody