Abused Mothers' Safety Concerns and Court Mediators' Custody Recommendations

• NCJ Number: 240426
• Journal: Journal of Family Violence Volume: 27 Issue: 4 Dated: May 2012 Pages: 321-332
• Author(s): Echo A. Rivera; April M. Zeoli; Cris M. Sullivan
• Date Published: May 2012
• Length: 12 pages
• Grant Number(s): R24MH75941; K12HD065879
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Agriculture; National Institute of Mental Health; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study adds to research on family court's response to custody in the context of intimate partner abuse (IPA).

Abstract

This study adds to research on family court's response to custody in the context of intimate partner abuse (IPA). Mediation is often used to assist family court with custody negotiation; however, debate exists in the field regarding its use when IPA exists. The following study examines experiences with court mediation among a sample of victimized mothers who divorced abusive husbands. Mixed-method data were collected from 19 women. Findings demonstrate that abuse is rarely considered in custody recommendations, as most court mediators prefer joint custody. Implications for the ongoing debate, as well as future directions for research, are discussed. Abstract published by arrangement with Springer.