Yes a child can refuse contact with a parent or refuse a visit with a parent if they want too.
However while the child doesn't have to legally visit the parent the parents must get that child to visit the parent even when they do not want too.
The parent can face legal problems due to violations of the custody order even though it's the kid that is refusing to visit and not the parent.
So you may have to force your kid to go with the other parent even if they are kicking and screaming especially if they are younger too keep you from violating the court order.
But if the child is refusing to visit the parent you need to speak with the court about it because maybe the other parent is causing problems with the child or abusing them and causing them to not want to go to the parents house.
A child custody order requires parents to make a child reasonably available for visits.
Making a child reasonably available doesn’t mean that one parent has to force the visit or drag a child kicking and screaming from one car to the other.
For example, your order may say that dad gets the child every Saturday morning with pick up at mom’s house. This doesn’t mean that mom is required to physically deliver the child to dad.
If mom can’t get the teenage child to leave her bedroom, it’s probably not mom’s fault that the visit didn’t happen.
However, each parent has a duty to communicate to the other parent when the child is ill or otherwise unable to make a scheduled visit.
A parent who communicates frequently and swiftly when a child is refusing visits will have a better outcome in court than the parent who fails explain the circumstances surrounding the child's refusal.
Although you should follow the terms of your custody order as closely as possible, there are circumstances where a visit may be impossible.
An older teen may outright refuse visits and there’s not a lot that a parent can do. However parents with younger children will need to play a more active role in ensuring that visits happen.