Child Custody and Domestic Violence

Shear, Leslie Ellen

doi:10.1300/j190v01n03_06

Cited by 8 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…However, some scholars have argued that women in domestic violence shelters are not representative of women involved in child custody disputes (Dutton 2005;Gould et al 2007). The current study utilized a different sample but one in which researchers have discussed the likelihood of tangential spouse abuse occurring (Bancroft and Silverman 2002;Sauders 1994;Shepard 1992). The finding that prior physical abuse and controlling behavior did not predict later tangential spouse abuse in this sample is not consistent with the idea that abusive men may use children as tools to control the mother.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 80%

“…When reconciliation no longer seems like an option to the abuser, child custody disputes and visitation become ways to continue abusing the woman (Jaffe et al 2008;Sauders 1994;Shepard 1992). Abusive men are frequently at an advantage in custody disputes since they are the ones who retained control of the money or they did not let their partner work (Bancroft and Silverman 2002).…”

Section: Separation and The Abuser's Use Of Children To Control Formementioning

confidence: 99%

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Abusive Men’s Indirect Control of Their Partner During the Process of Separation

Hayes

2012

J Fam Viol

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The current study evaluates the impact of prior controlling behavior and physical abuse on indirect abuse during the process of separation. The sample includes women in the New York City family court system from 2002 to 2005 who had at least one child with the male she was obtaining an order of protection against. Stepwise logistic regression was used to determine the impact of prior physical abuse and controlling behavior on if the abusive partner told lies to the children, kept the children longer or contacted the woman's family or friends over the follow-up period. Women experienced a decline in the occurrence of physical abuse but did not experience the same decline in controlling behaviors over the follow-up period. Level of education and employment status of the couple may be more appropriate predictors of later indirect abuse over the process of separation than prior physical abuse and controlling behavior.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 80%

Section: Separation and The Abuser's Use Of Children To Control Formementioning

confidence: 99%

Abusive Men’s Indirect Control of Their Partner During the Process of Separation

Hayes

2012

J Fam Viol

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“…Despite their aim when first adopted, some judicial outcomes of child custody procedures have created opportunities for abusers to further manipulate former partners with little risk attached (Jaffe et al, 2003;Logan & Walker, 2004;Saunders, 1994;Shepard, 1992). In child custody cases, importance has been placed on having both parents in the children's lives, regardless of the abuse history between the couple (Amato & Rivera, 1999;Hardesty & Chung, 2006).…”

Section: Indirect Abuse Involving Childrenmentioning

confidence: 99%

Indirect Abuse Involving Children During the Separation Process

Hayes

2015

J Interpers Violence

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Separation is believed to be an antidote to risk abusers pose to their partners and children and underlines many interventions in family, juvenile, and criminal court proceedings. Countering this belief is the claim that many abusers respond to the felt loss of power and control occasioned by separation by changing or escalating abusive tactics. This study complements research on post-separation by asking whether separation is associated with an increase in threats of indirect abuse, which relies on third parties to manipulate the victim. Children, and threats made against them, can be used as a proxy to control or intimidate the victim. Using data from the Chicago Women Health Risk Study ( N = 339), the current study examined whether mothers who were separated were at greater risk of abuse through threats against the children when compared with mothers who were still in a relationship with their abuser. Results indicated that separated mothers were four times more likely to report threats to take and threats to harm the children, Exp(B) = 4.05, p < .05; Exp(B) = 3.93, p < .05, than non-separated mothers. Findings can be used to inform child custody procedures and the design of Family Justice Centers.

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“…Anecdotal evidence suggests that perpetrators use children in a variety of ways. Biological fathers of the children may use prolonged custody battles to keep track of the mothers (Bancroft & Silverman, 2002; Saunders, 1994), or use visitation as an opportunity to continue their abuse against the child's mother (Saunders, 1994; Shepard, 1992). This has become such a widespread problem that supervised visitation centers have proliferated as one means to provide the abuser with access to the children but not to the woman (Oehme & Maxwell, 2004; Thoennes & Pearson, 1999).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is not uncommon for batterers to interrogate the children about their mothers' activities, as a way of monitoring all aspects of women's lives. This may be done in subtle ways so that the children do not even realize they are being manipulated (McMahon & Pence, 1995; Shepard, 1992).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Abusive Men's Use of Children to Control Their Partners and Ex-Partners

Beeble

Bybee

Sullivan

2007

European Psychologist

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While research has found that millions of children in the United States are exposed to their mothers being battered, and that many are themselves abused as well, little is known about the ways in which children are used by abusers to manipulate or harm their mothers. Anecdotal evidence suggests that perpetrators use children in a variety of ways to control and harm women; however, no studies to date have empirically examined the extent of this occurring. Therefore, the current study examined the extent to which survivors of abuse experienced this, as well as the conditions under which it occurred. Interviews were conducted with 156 women who had experienced recent intimate partner violence. Each of these women had at least one child between the ages of 5 and 12. Most women (88%) reported that their assailants had used their children against them in varying ways. Multiple variables were found to be related to this occurring, including the relationship between the assailant and the children, the extent of physical and emotional abuse used by the abuser against the woman, and the assailant's court-ordered visitation status. Findings point toward the complex situational conditions by which assailants use the children of their partners or ex-partners to continue the abuse, and the need for a great deal more research in this area.

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Child Custody and Domestic Violence

Cited by 8 publications

References 1 publication

Abusive Men’s Indirect Control of Their Partner During the Process of Separation

Abusive Men’s Indirect Control of Their Partner During the Process of Separation

Indirect Abuse Involving Children During the Separation Process

Abusive Men's Use of Children to Control Their Partners and Ex-Partners

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