Disrupt, Support and Document: The Role of Social Media in International Parental Child Abduction Cases Involving Japan

• Main Author: Geraldine Carney
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: The Japan Foundation, Sydney 2016-07-01
• Series: New Voices in Japanese Studies
• Subjects: Japan; parental child abduction; custody disputes; social media; law; family law; human rights; international law; internationalisation; technology; Facebook; children
• Online Access: http://newvoices.org.au/volume-8/disrupt-support-and-document-the-role-of-social-media-in-international-parental-child-abduction-cases-involving-japan/

In this article, I examine the use of social media by parents involved in cases of international parental abduction to and from Japan, with a focus on cases of abduction to Japan. I argue that the use of social media in these cases is a symptom of and a counter to a legal system which has been outpaced by changes in society, particularly the creation and dissolution of international families. This article discusses a number of case studies of social media usage and locates these in the context of the contemporary Japanese legal system. While not ignoring the nefarious potential of social media usage, I come to a positive assessment of its use in cases of international parental child abduction involving Japan. I also question how its utility will change over time, depending on the legal system’s ability to adapt to societal changes and expectations.