Citation

Rivera EA, Sullivan CM, Zeoli AM. Fem. Criminol. 2012; 7(3): 234-252.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1557085111430827

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Family court often assists divorcing parties in establishing custody arrangements. Mediation is commonly used for custody negotiation; however, its applicability for cases involving intimate partner abuse (IPA) is debated. This study was designed to gain an in-depth understanding of abused mothers' court mediation experiences and how those experiences impact future court help-seeking when the fathers of their children have been abusive to them. Most women experienced secondary victimization during mediation, which had a negative impact on their willingness to use the court in the future. Policy recommendations include screening for IPA, providing separate mediation sessions, and improving court mediators' training.

Language: en