NCJ Number
154445
Journal
Family and Conciliation Courts Review Volume: 33 Issue: 1 Dated: special issue (January 1995) Pages: 4-128
Editor(s)
H McIsaac
Date Published
1995
Length
125 pages
Annotation
Six articles discuss issues related to the use of mediation in addressing domestic violence and associated family conflicts.
Abstract
The first article summarizes policies and procedures used by various courts in the United States in their management of domestic-violence cases. Findings stem from a survey of over 200 courts and address the profile of mediation services, mediator training for domestic violence cases, screening for domestic violence, and protocols used. Another article reports on a study that examined the difference between mediation and evaluation disputes over child custody and visitation where domestic violence is involved. The researchers developed samples at two courts: Hennepin County Circuit Court in Minneapolis and Multnomah County Circuit Court in Portland, Ore. A description of the development of the Toronto Protocols for mediation in cases that involve domestic violence is provided in a third article. These protocols were developed by the Toronto Forum on Women Abuse and Mediation, which convened representatives from the mediation and domestic-violence provider communities. A fourth report describes child custody and visitation arrangements and assesses the impact of factors that might influence the terms of mediated agreements; data are from the California Shapshot Study conducted in June 1991. The final article explores Asian Americans' use of mediation in divorce and the effects of increasing divorce rates on the Asian American family. It examines mediation across cultural settings and documents the need for mediators to be versed in understanding persons from many different cultures. References and tabular data accompany the articles.