NCJ Number
235474
Journal
Aggression and Violent Behavior Volume: 16 Issue: 4 Dated: July/August 2011 Pages: 319-324
Date Published
August 2011
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article examines the risks to children exposed to family violence and parental separation.
Abstract
Intimate partner violence (IPV) and parental separation are two related and serious potential problems faced by children; both are associated with increased risks for children. Proponents of mediation for separating parents believe that, relative to traditional adversarial court proceedings, mediation may lead to better outcomes for children by decreasing parental conflict. However, the question of whether mediation should be conducted with parents experiencing IPV is a contentious one, although few arguments on either side of the debate have been supported by empirical research. This study examined some of the specific controversies regarding mediation in the context of IPV, including whether universal IPV screening should be required, whether mediation procedures should be modified to accommodate reports of IPV, and whether knowledge of IPV should lead to changes in mediation agreement content. The study also considered directions for future research to address important, unanswered questions in this area. (Published Abstract)