Making appropriate parenting arrangements in family violence cases: applying the literature to identify promising practices

PDF version

2005–FCY–3E

Prepared by:

• Peter G. Jaffe, Ph.D., C.Psych.
• Claire V. Crooks, Ph.D., C.Psych.
• and Nick Bala, LL.B, LL.M.

Presented to:

Family, Children and Youth Section Department of Justice Canada

The views expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Department of Justice Canada.

This report may be reproduced, in part or in whole, and by any means, without charge or further permission from the Department of Justice Canada, provided that due diligence is exercised in ensuring the accuracy of the materials reproduced; that the Department of Justice Canada is identified as the source department; and that the reproduction is not represented as an official version of the original report.

© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, represented by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, 2006

Table of contents

• Acknowledgements
• Executive summary
• 1.0 Introduction
  • 1.1 Methodology
  • 1.2 A Guide to the Report
• 2.0 Literature review on impact of family violence
  • 2.1 Impact of Family Violence
  • 2.2 Child abuse
  • 2.3 Exposure to spousal violence
  • 2.4 Overlap among child abuse, spousal violence and sibling abuse
  • 2.5 Variability of the Impact on Children
  • 2.6 Typologies of Family Violence
• 3.0 Parenting arrangements in cases involving spousal violence
  • 3.1 Why is Spousal Violence Relevant to Post–Separation Parenting Arrangements?
• 4.0 The need for a paradigm shift for family violence cases
  • 4.1 Assessing Family Violence Allegations
  • 4.2 Strategies for Intervention
  • 4.3 Barriers and Challenges to Making Parenting Arrangement Decisions
  • 4.4 The Need for a New Paradigm
• 5.0 Emerging best practices: parenting arrangements in family violence cases
  • 5.1 Parenting Arrangements
  • 5.2 Type of Violence History
  • 5.3 Resources for Children, Victims and Perpetrators
  • 5.4 Timing of Disclosure / Stage of Proceedings: Establishing Validity of Family Violence Allegations
• 6.0 Conclusions
  • 6.1 Project Summary
  • 6.2 Highlights
  • 6.3 Implications
• 7.0 References

List of figures

• Figure 1 Variables Hypothetically Associated with Impact of Family Violence
• Figure 2 Continuum of Aggression and Abuse (LaViolette, 2005)
• Figure 3 Child Custody: Specialized Assessment Needs in Spousal Violence Cases
• Figure 4 Differentiated Custody Interventions in Spousal Violence Cases
• Figure 5 Parenting Arrangements after Family Violence
• Figure 6 Parenting Arrangements after Family Violence
• Figure 7 Parenting Arrangements after Family Violence
• Figure 8 Parenting Arrangements after Family Violence