Family courts' decisions related to domestic violence and child abuse have tremendous impact on the lives of adult and child survivors. These decisions are suppose to serve the "best interests" of the children in these families. Yet, as research indicates, reports of domestic violence and child abuse are more likely to be disbelieved than believed by family courts.  

In this episode, David and Ruth speak to Joan Meier, an internationally renown author, researcher and attorney, about about her years of experience with family court and abuse, and her recent ground-breaking research study on US family court decisions related to abuse allegations.  Highlights of her research,  from an empirical study of ten years U.S. cases involving abuse and alienation claims, include:

•  data that confirms that mothers’ claims of abuse, especially child physical or sexual abuse, increase their risk of losing custody, and that fathers’ cross-claims of alienation virtually double that risk
• Alienation’s impact is gender-specific; fathers alleging mothers are abusive are not similarly undermined when mothers cross-claim alienation. 

Read the full paper: "U.S. child custody outcomes in cases involving parental alienation and abuse allegations: what do the data show?"

Download infographic of key results of the research

Recommendations for domestic violence survivors involved in family court proceedings

Now available! Mapping the Perpetrator’s Pattern: A Practitioner’s Tool for Improving Assessment, Intervention, and Outcomes The web-based Perpetrator Pattern Mapping Tool is a virtual practice tool for improving assessment, intervention, and outcomes through a perpetrator pattern-based approach. The tool allows practitioners to apply the Model’s critical concepts and principles to their current case load in real

Check out David Mandel's new book "Stop Blaming Mothers and Ignoring Fathers: How to transform the way we keep children safe from domestic violence."