Can an 11 and 12 (nearly 13) year old refuse contact?

[Daisym0use]

It's a long story but my DS do not want to see their biological father. We went through a long drawn out court case when they were younger which ended with an indirect contact order which their father never fulfilled anyway.
He is now back asking for contact again but the children have not changed their views and still do not want to see him. They went through a great deal of distress last time and it took them a long time to recover. They are now doing really well and are settled at school and really happy.
I have never slagged their father off and still encourage them to see him and assure them that nothing would ever change at home if they want to see him.
My question really is, if it goes back to court as he is threatening, are the children old enough to refuse to see him?

[EarthWindFire]

They are old enough to have their views heard, but the decision would be the courts.

[Daisym0use]

How would you force children of this age to interact with him
Because they wouldn't 3 years ago!

[JaneParker]

Why doesn't he? Couldy ou not just big it all up and tell him how wonderful it will be to see his father, bribe him to see him and if that fails you and his father can just pick him up and dump him in the car? It will give you a break from the child and more time to relax or work which many single mothers want. 100% contact is not all it is made out to be - means you don't get a break.

[Daisym0use]

I'm not a single mum, I'm happily married and the boys have been brought up by my husband. My children are a bit old really to be bribed and dumped in a car with a man who abused them.

I just really want to know if my children can be forced which would probably mean some kind of supported or supervised contact but at their ages I can't see how they can be made to do something they are so against.