Constructing abuse: the experiences of mothers and court ordered child custody and access assessments

This study looks at one aspect of child custody and access within the context of family violence; that is, how the presence of abuse within a parental relationship is considered in court ordered child custody and access evaluations. The personal accounts of three women as related to me in personal open-ended interviews were examined along side the respective custody and access evaluations as prepared by psychologists. It is through this qualitative case study approach that I hoped to gain some perspective and insight into some of the real life issues and obstacles that women everywhere are facing. Among the number of things that these women faced, perhaps most evident was the tendency of evaluators to disregard the existence of intimate violence whether it occurred before separation or continues to occur in other forms (i.e., intimidation, harassment) and fail to see it as a risk for children. Apparent also was how different standards were applied to levels of parental involvement and skills, with fathering tending to be more highly valued. In summary, the study suggests that the rights of fathers to continue to have relationships with their children given priority over the needs of women to protect themselves and their children from further violence.