Assessing Mutual Partner-Abuse Claims in Child Custody and Access Cases

This article explores issues associated with mutual claims of domestic violence in the context of research on gender and violence, and in the context of litigation tactics commonly employed by perpetrators in child custody and access cases. Quotations from parents involved in such cases illustrate why accurate assessment of mutual cliams requires complete information about social context and the analysis of patterns of domination, power and control in the relationship over time. Recent developments in Canadian law ought to enhance the ability of judges to take such evidence into account. The article aims to provide a lens through which to understand and assess such cases.

_eprint: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.174-1617.2004.tb00661.x