The University of British Columbia

Edward Kruk

 

Associate Professor

The University of British Columbia

School of Social Work

Rm 237, 2080 West Mall,

Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z2

Phone: (604) 822-2383

 

Edward Kruk is Associate Professor of Social Work at the University of British Columbia, specializing in child and family policy. As a child and family social worker in Canada and the U.K., he has practiced in the fields of welfare rights, child protection, school social work, hospital social work, and family services. He is currently teaching and practicing in the areas of family mediation and addiction.

Edward's first book, Divorce and Disengagement, was the first in-depth study of the experiences of divorced fathers and the phenomenon of father absence after divorce. His second book, Mediation and Conflict Resolution in Social Work and the Human Services, explores the application of mediation in eighteen fields of practice, with a focus on theory and practice relevant to each field. His third book, Divorced Fathers: Children's Needs and Parental Responsibilities, examines fathers' perceptions of their children's needs in the divorce transition, and parental and social institutional responsibilities to those needs.

Edward has published over twenty peer-reviewed research articles in a range of social policy, social work, sociology, and other scholarly journals on topics such as child custody determination, family mediation, fathers and divorce, women and addiction, and grandparent access rights. His book chapters, professional journal articles, and other papers span a similarly wide range; his most recent policy paper, Child Custody, Access and Parental Responsibility: The Search for a Just and Equitable Standard, is informing the development of a new approach to child custody determination in Canada and abroad. He has appeared in several documentaries, and his work is regularly featured in print, and on radio and television, including CBC, the Globe and Mail, and the National Post, and he was recently cited as "Canada's leading child custody expert" by two national newspapers.

Edward is an alumnus of the University of Toronto, where he completed his B.A. and M.S.W. degrees, cum laude, and the University of Edinburgh, where he completed his doctorate as a National Welfare Fellow. He has a B.A. (Hons.) degree in both Sociology and Psychology, a Master of Social Work degree, and a Ph.D. in Social Policy and Social Work. He has taught at both the University of Calgary and at UBC, and his work has taken him abroad, including Israel and Iran, where he has taught family mediation to social work students and practitioners.

 

Books:

Kruk, E.  (2011).  Divorced Fathers:  Children’s Needs and Parental Responsibilities,  Halifax:  Fernwood Publishing.  Pp. 118.

 Kruk, E. (1997).  Mediation and Conflict Resolution in Social Work and the Human Services. Chicago:  Nelson-Hall.  Pp. viii+348.

 Kruk, E. (1993).  Divorce and Disengagement:  Patterns of Fatherhood Within and Beyond Marriage,  Halifax:  Fernwood Publishing.  Pp. 138.

 Kruk, E.  (1984).  Classroom Behaviour Management:   A Resource Guide for Teachers,  Toronto:  Metro Separate School Board.

 

Book Chapters:

Kruk, E. (2011).  “The Disappearance of Parents from Children's Lives:  The Cumulative Effects of Child Care, Child Custody and Child Welfare Policies in Canada.”  In Allen, G. & Lauster, N. (Eds.) The End of Children, Vancouver:  UBC Press.  Pp. 121-139.

Kruk, E.  (2003).  “Family Mediation in Canada:  The State of the Art,”  In McFarlane, J. (Ed.), Dispute Resolution: Readings and Case Studies (2nd edition), Toronto:  Emond Montgomery Publications.  Pp. 404-407.

Kruk, E. (1997).  “Mediation and Conflict Resolution in Social Work and the Human Services:  Issues, Debates, and Trends,”  In Kruk, E. (Ed.), Mediation and Conflict Resolution in Social Work and the Human Services, Chicago:  Nelson-Hall.  Pp. 1-17.

Kruk, E. (1997).  “Parenting Disputes in Divorce:  Facilitating the Development of Parenting Plans through Parent Education and Therapeutic Family Mediation,”  In Kruk, E. (Ed.), Mediation and Conflict Resolution in Social Work and the Human Services, Chicago:  Nelson-Hall.  Pp. 55-79.

Umbreit, M. S. and Kruk, E. (1997).  “Parent-Child Mediation,”  In Kruk, E. (Ed.),  Mediation and Conflict Resolution in Social Work and the Human Services, Chicago:  Nelson-Hall.  Pp. 97-115.

Kruk, E., Betz Martin, F. and O’Callaghan, J. (1997).  “Caregiving Mediation in Health Care Settings,”  In Kruk, E. (Ed.), Mediation and Conflict Resolution in Social Work and the Human Services, Chicago:  Nelson-Hall.  Pp. 179-193.

Kruk, E. (1991).  "Discontinuity Between Pre- and Post-Divorce Father-Child Relationships,"  In Everett, C.A. (Ed.),  The Consequences of Divorce:  Economic and Custodial Impact on Children and Adults,  Binghampton, NY:  The Haworth Press.  Pp. 195-227.

 

Policy Papers:

Kruk, E.  (2008).  Child Custody, Access and Parental Responsibility:  The Search for a Just and Equitable Standard.  Guelph:  Fatherhood Involvement Research Alliance, Social Science and Humanities Research Council (Refereed publication).

 

Refereed Journal Articles:

Kruk, E.  (In Press).  “Arguments for an Equal Parental Responsibility Presumption in Contested Child Custody.”  American Journal of Family Therapy.

Kruk, E.  (2011).  “A Model Equal Parental Responsibility Presumption in Contested Child Custody.”  American Journal of Family Therapy, 39 (5), 1-15.

Kruk, E. & Sihota, P.  (2011).  “Engagement of Substance Using Pregnant Women in Addiction Recovery.”  Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health, 30 (1), 79-91.

Kruk, E.  (2010).  “Collateral Damage:  The Lived Experiences of Divorced Mothers Without Custody.”  Journal of Divorce and Remarriage, 51 (8), 526-543.

Kruk, E.  (2010).  “Parental and Social Institutional Responsibilities to Children’s Needs in the Divorce Transition:  Fathers’ Perspectives.”  Journal of Men’s Studies, 18 (2), 159-178.

Kruk, E.  (2006).  “Spiritual Wounding and Affliction:  Facilitating Spiritual Transformation in Social Justice Work.”  Critical Social Work  7 (1).

Kruk, E.  (2005).  “Shared Parental Responsibility:  A Harm Reduction-Based Approach to Divorce Law Reform,”  Journal of Divorce and Remarriage  43 (3/4), 119-140  (Haworth Press).

Jones, L. & Kruk, E.  (2005).  “Life in Government Care:  The Connection of Youth to Family,”  Child and Youth Care Forum  34 (6), 405-421  (Springer Science + Business Media, Inc.).

Kruk, E.  (1998).  “Deconstructing Family Mediation Practice via the ‘Simulated Client’ Technique:  The Case of Unresolved Marital Attachment,”  Mediation Quarterly  15 (4), 321-334  (Academy of Family Mediators/ Jossey-Bass Publishers).

Christie, A. & Kruk, E.  (1998).  Choosing to Become a Social Worker:  Motives, Concerns, Incentives and Disincentives,”  Social Work Education  17 (1), 21-34  (Carfax Publishing).

Kruk, E. (1998).  “Practice Issues, Strategies and Models:  The Current ‘State of the Art’ of Family Mediation,”  Family and Conciliation Courts Review  36 (2), 195-215  (Association of Family and Conciliation Courts/ Sage Publications).

Kruk, E.  (1998).  “Power Imbalance and Spouse Abuse in Divorce Disputes:  Deconstructing Mediation Practice via the ‘Simulated Client’ Technique,”  International Journal of Law, Policy and The Family,  12 (1), 1-14  (Oxford University Press).

Kruk, E.  (1995).  "Grandparent-Grandchild Contact Loss:  Findings from a Study of 'Grandparent Rights' Members,"  Canadian Journal on Aging,  14 (3), 737-754  (Canadian Association on Gerontology).

Kruk, E. & Hall, B.  (1995).  "The Disengagement of Paternal Grandparents Subsequent to Divorce,"  Journal of Divorce and Remarriage   23 (1/2), 131-147  (Haworth Press).

Kruk, E.  (1994).  "The 'Disengaged' Noncustodial Father:  Implications for Social Work Practice with the Divorced Family,"  Social Work  39 (1), 15-25  (National Association of Social Workers).

Kruk, E.  (1994).  "Grandparent Visitation Disputes:  Multigenerational Approaches to Family Mediation,"  Mediation Quarterly  12 (1), 37-53 (Academy of Family Mediators/ Jossey-Bass Publishers).

Kruk, E. & Vryheid, A.  (1993).  "Gaps in Service Provision for Native Disabled Adults on Reserves:  A Case Description,"  The Social Worker / Le Travailleur social  61 (4), 181-184  (Canadian Association of Social Workers).

Kruk, E. (1993).  "Promoting Cooperative Parenting After Separation:  A Therapeutic / Interventionist Model of Family Mediation,"  Journal of Family Therapy  15 (3), 235-261  (Association for Family Therapy/ Blackwell Publishers).

Kruk, E.  (1992).  "Child Custody Determination:  An Analysis of the Legal Model, Legal Practices, and Experiences of Male Participants in the Process,"  Journal of Men's Studies  1 (2), 163-185  (Men's Studies Press).

Kruk, E.  (1992).  "Psychological and Structural Factors Contributing to the Disengagement of Noncustodial Fathers After Divorce,"  Family and Conciliation Courts Review  29 (2), 81-101  (Association of Family and Conciliation Courts/ Sage Publications).

Kruk, E.  (1991).  "Discontinuity Between Pre- and Post-divorce Father-child Relationships:  New Evidence Regarding Paternal Disengagement,"  Journal of Divorce and Remarriage  16 (3/4), 195-227  (Haworth Press).

Kruk, E.  (1991).  "The Grief Reaction of Noncustodial Fathers Subsequent to Divorce,"  Men's Studies Review  8 (2), 17-21  (Men's Studies Association).

Conference Papers and Presentations:

“Shared Parental Responsibility and Shared Residence After Separation and Divorce: A Four-Pillar Approach,” Presentation to the Research Network on Shared Residence, Centre for Biomedical Ethics/Centre for the Study of Global Ethics, University of Birmingham, UK, June, 2011.

“The Lived Experiences of Noncustodial Parents in Canada: A Comparison of Mothers and Fathers,” Presentation at the Roundtable and Symposium on Family Dynamics, Senate of Canada, Ottawa, May, 2011.

"What is 'Normal' in Custody and Access:  Should There Be Presumptions?," Paper presented at the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (Ontario Chapter) Second Annual Conference, Toronto, October, 2010.

 “Family Mediation as Facilitating Shared Parental Responsibility:  A Child-Centred Approach,”  Workshop presented to the Interdisciplinair Project voor de Optimalisatie van Scheidingstrajecten (IPOS), University of Ghent and the Catholic University of Leuven, Ghent, Belgium, March, 2010.

“Family Conflict Resolution in the Divorce Transition:  Overlooked Considerations,” Presentation to the Colloquium: Scheiden anders bekeken, Interdisciplinair Project voor de Optimalisatie van Scheidingstrajecten (IPOS), University of Ghent and the Catholic University of Leuven, Brussels, Belgium, March, 2010—Keynote speaker.

“Equal Parenting:  Why It Matters,” Workshop presented to the Canadian Equal Parenting Council, Ottawa, November, 2009.

“How Addictions Affect Children,” Presentation at the Symposium on the Impact of Drug and Alcohol Addiction on Caregivers and Loved Ones, Vancouver, October, 2009.

“A Comparison of Outcomes and Experiences of non-custodial Mothers and Fathers:  Implications for Socio-legal Policy,” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Sociological Association, Carleton University, Ottawa, May, 2009.

“Child Custody Determination: Similarities and Dissimilarities between Non-resident Mothers and Fathers,” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Law and Society Association, Carleton University, Ottawa, May, 2009.

“Paternal Responsibility and Parenting After Divorce:  The Search for a Just and Equitable Approach to Child Custody Determination,” Paper presented at the Fatherhood Involvement Research Conference, Toronto, October, 2008.

“Children’s Needs and Paternal Responsibilities:  An Empirical Investigation of the Experiences of Separated and Divorced Fathers in Canada,” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Sociological Association, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, June, 2008.

“Non-custodial mothers’ lived experiences:  Implications for social policy,” Paper presented at the Community-University Exposition 2008, The University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, May, 2008.

“The disappearance/ disengagement of parents from the lives of children in Canada: The cumulative effects of current child care, child protection, and child custody policies,” Paper presented at the Family Studies Symposium, “The End of Children?: Fertility and Childhood in Flux,” The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, May, 2007.

“Shared Parenting:  A Needs- and Responsibility-Based Approach to Divorce Law Reform,”  Paper presented at the Child and Youth Rights Conference, Brock University, St. Catherine’s, July 21, 2006.

“The Spiritual Transformation of Social (Justice) Work:  A Charter of Social Responsibilities Corresponding to Vital Human Needs,”  Paper presented at the First North American Conference on Spirituality and Social Work, Waterloo, May 26, 2006.

“Child Custody, Access and Parental Responsibility:  The Search for a Just and Equitable Standard,” Paper presented at the Fatherhood Involvement Research Alliance Symposium, Toronto, May 6, 2006.

“Separated and Divorced Fathers’ Perceptions of Their Children’s Needs and Corresponding Paternal Responsibilities:  Preliminary Results and Potential Implications,”  Paper presented at the Fatherhood Involvement Research Alliance Symposium, Toronto, May 5, 2006.

“The Changing Canadian Political Landscape:  Opportunities for Influence,”  Paper presented at the Pan-Canadian Father Involvement Roundtable, Toronto, March 24, 2006.

“Discerning and Transforming Spiritual Trauma:  A Harm Reduction-based Approach to Social (Justice) Work,” Paper presented at the Fourth Annual Canadian Conference on Spirituality and Social Work, London, ON., May 28, 2005 (Published in conference proceedings).

“The Development of a Women’s Addiction Treatment Facility from the Perspective of Hard Drug Users in British Columbia,” Workshop presented at the Let’s Talk About Addictions Conference, Kamloops, B.C., February 4, 2005 (with Kathryn Sandberg).

“Men in Families:  The Canadian Fatherhood Involvement Research Initiative,”  Paper presented at the National Council on Family Relations annual conference, Vancouver, November 22, 2003 (with Kerry Daly).

"'Share the Care': A New Option in Divorce and Child Protection Mediation,"  Workshop presented at the annual conference of Family Mediation Canada, Banff, October 3, 2003.

“Shared Parenting, Child Support, Custody and Access,” Paper presented at the 2003 Annual Conference of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, Ottawa, May 31, 2003.

“Emergent Models of Child Custody Determination: The Harm Reduction Formula,” Invited Paper, Annual Conference of the Conflict Resolution Network and Family Mediation Canada, Charlottetown, PEI. June 13, 2002.

“Working in the Present:  Reflections on the Spiritual and Moral Purposes of Mediation in the Context of Past Trauma and Future Fears,”  Workshop presented at the annual conference of Family Mediation Canada, Hull, PQ, October 20, 2000.

“Compassion for the Afflicted--An Impossibility?,”  Paper presentation, “Learning Love” Conference, Vancouver, May 4, 2000.

“Breaking Impasses in Divorce Mediation:  Using the Child’s Voice to Facilitate Agreement,”  Workshop presented at the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts Annual Conference, Vancouver, June 2, 1999.

“Fathers and Divorce:  Challenges and Opportunities for Family Mediators,” Keynote Presentation, Annual Conference of Family Mediation Manitoba,  Winnipeg, May 7, 1999--Keynote speaker.

“Facilitating the Development of Parenting Plans:  A New Direction for Divorce Mediation,”  Workshop presented at the Mediation Development Association of British Columbia Regional Conference, Vancouver, May 2, 1998.

“Deconstructing Professional Practice in Divorce:  An Examination of Family Mediators’ Working Methods via the ‘Simulated Client’ Method,”  Paper presented at the Joint Meetings of the Law and Society Association and Research Committee on the Sociology of Law of the International Sociological Association, Glasgow, July 10, 1996.

"Working Methods of Canadian Family Mediators:  Implications for Practice."  Paper presented at the 9th Annual National Conference of Family Mediation Canada, Victoria, October 27, 1995.

"Cultural Competence in Family Mediation:  Diversity with a Difference."  Institute presented at the 9th Annual National Conference of Family Mediation Canada, Victoria, October 25, 1995 (with A. Barsky).

"Absent Fathers and Deadbeat Dads:  A Cross-National Analysis of Paternal Disengagement,"  Paper presented at the Canadian Sociology and Anthropology meetings, Learned Societies Conference, 30th Annual Meeting, Montreal, June 6, 1995.

"Gender Issues in the Resolution of Custody and Visitation Issues, "  Paper presented at the 1995 Annual Conference of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, Montreal, May 19, 1995.

"Separation conjugale et maintain des liens parentaux."  Presentation at the conference of the Centre de recherche sur les services communautaires, "Transitions familiales:  Conjugalite, parentalite,"  Quebec, November 18, 1994--Keynote speaker.

"Competing Approaches to Intervention with Families and Communities in Conflict:  A Review of Mainstream and Emergent Models of Mediation in the Context of Diversity."  Paper presented at the 6th Family Therapy World Conference, Budapest,  August 23, 1994 (with J. Pulkingham).

"Mediation of Access, Custody, and Guardianship in Parent-Grandparent Disputes."  Paper presented at the 31st Annual Conference of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts,  Maui,  May, 1994 (with Z. Zumeta).

"Considering the Grandparent-Grandchild Relationship in Divorce:  A Case for a Multigenerational Approach to Family Mediation."  Paper presented at the 7th Annual National Conference of Family Mediation Canada,  Banff,  October 21, 1993--Invitational.

"Empowerment in Therapeutic Family Mediation:  Incorporating Feminist Critiques in Negotiating Post-Divorce Parenting."  Paper presented at the 17th Western Canadian Conference on Family Practice,  Vancouver,  May 29, 1993.

"Allies in Healing:  Empowering Partners of Adult Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse."  Paper presented at the 17th Western Canadian Conference on Family Practice,  Vancouver,  May 29, 1993 (with M. LeClaire).

"Poverty Profiles of Divorced Families in Canada:  Implications for Family Law Reform and Income Security Policy."  Paper presented at the "Emerging Research on the Economic Impact of Divorce" Panel, the 30th Annual Conference of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts,  New Orleans,  May 13, 1993 (with J. Pulkingham).

"Beginning Skills in Family Mediation."  Workshop presented at the 16th Western Canadian Conference on Family Practice,  Vancouver,  June 15-16, 1992--Invitational.

"Creative Approaches to Family Mediation."  Forum presented at the 16th Western Canadian Conference on Family Practice,  Vancouver,  June 14, 1992 (with P. English).

"Family Mediation and Multicultural Reality:  Implications for Practice, Policy, and Research."  Paper presented at the Canadian Association of Schools of Social Work Annual Conference, Learned Societies Conference,  Charlottetown,  June 1, 1992.

"The Impact of Divorce on Fathers:  Research Implications for Family Practice and Divorce Mediation."  Paper presented at the 6th International Congress on Family Therapy,  Jerusalem,  April 3, 1992.

"Facilitating Shared Parenting After Divorce."  Paper presented at the 6th International Congress on Family Therapy,  Jerusalem,  March 31, 1992.

"Myths and Assumptions:  Maintenance and the Absent Parent."  Paper presented at the Conference of the Mediation Development Association of British Columbia and the Mediation Lawyers Group,  Vancouver,  February 22, 1992 (with J. Gifford)--Invitational.

"Changing Roles of Grandparents After Adult Children Divorce."  Paper presented at the Canadian Association on Gerontology Annual Scientific and Educational Meeting, Victoria,  October, 1990 (with B. Hall).

"The 'Disengaged' Noncustodial Father:  Research Implications for Family Practice."  Paper presented at the 14th Western Canadian Conference on Family Practice, Vancouver,  June, 1990.

 

Service Contributions:

UBC Behavioural Research Ethics Board

Editorial Board, American Journal of Family Therapy

Editorial Board, Journal of Men’s Studies

Editorial Board, Iranian Journal of Social Work