Sunshine Coast resident Dr. Christine Giancarlo, Professor of Sociology and Anthropology at Mount Royal University, is being recognized for her outstanding contribution to shared parenting research.
Professor Giancarlo, along with her co-authors, was presented with the prestigious 2023 National Parenting Organization (NPO) Ned Holstein Shared Parenting Research Award this past April. The annual award, given on Shared Parenting Day (April 26), honours the most significant research on shared parenting published in the preceding year. The NPO is dedicated to protecting children's right to a meaningful relationship with both parents after separation or divorce and advocates for reforms that promote the well-being of children in separated families.
Dr. Giancarlo’s research, titled “Gender and Child Custody Outcomes Across 16 Years of Judicial Decisions Regarding Abuse and Parental Alienation,” sets a new standard for excellence in this field. The paper was nominated for the award by multiple leading researchers, highlighting its exceptional quality.
“Professor Giancarlo's research sheds light on a critical issue in shared parenting — how courts handle allegations of abuse and parental alienation. It is a model of the sort of groundbreaking research that NPO champions,” NPO chair Don Hubin, said in a release. Hubin adds the landmark study stands out for its rigorous methodology.
By pre-registering hypotheses and publishing detailed information on research methods and data coding, the paper allows for independent verification and replication by other researchers. This transparency combats the prevalence of flawed, agenda-driven research in this area.
Hubin says the NPO is proud to recognize Dr. Giancarlo's groundbreaking research and adds Mount Royal University should be equally proud to have such a distinguished scholar on its faculty.
