Research report No. 13, 2005

A snapshot of contemporary attitudes to child support

by Bruce Smyth and Ruth Weston

report cover

 

Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2005.
ISBN 0 642 39526 8. ISSN 1447-1469 (Print); 1477-1477 (Online).

Contact the Institute if you would like a copy of this report (a postage and handling charge applies - refer to Ordering details).


Full Report - download the full report in PDF (1.5 MB) or in sections as noted in Contents below.

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Contents

Introductory pages - Foreword; List of tables and figures; About the authors; Acknowledgements - PDF (462 KB)

Summary | PDF (49 KB)

  1. Why study attitudes to child support? | PDF (348 KB)
    Recent policy challenges
    Attitudes as a window into 'fairness'
    Prior work
    The need for an up-to-date Australian snapshot
    Structure of the report
  2. Research design | PDF (370 KB)
    Samples and recruitment
    Data collection
    Survey content
    Analytic strategy
    Demographic profile
    Methodological issues
  3. Attitudes to the broad principles of the Scheme | PDF (695 KB)
    General awareness and perceptions
    The public-private compact
    Income, capacity to pay, and the costs of children
    Age of children
    Non-compliance
    Summary
  4. New partners, second families and parent-child contact | PDF (564 KB)
    New partners and second families
    Parent-child contact
    Summary
  5. Suggested changes to the Scheme | PDF (383 KB)
    'Fairness'
    Relationship counselling and mediation
    Administrative issues and assessment processes
    Should everyone pay?
    Summary
  6. Conclusion | PDF (360 KB)
    Key findings
    Some reflections
    Implications for policy, practice and research
    A 'tangled terrain'?

References | PDF (46 KB)

Appendices - PDF (88 KB)