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Abstract: 

This brief report confirms earlier findings on custody loss and child protective dilemmas faced by protective mothers. Author Connie Valentine summarizes findings from a survey of mothers who sought legal protection from the family court system for themselves and their children while engaged in a custody/visitation dispute with an abusive partner. Consonant with other research, this study found that the majority of these women were unable to obtain legal protections for their children; to the contrary, a significant proportion lost custody of their children to their abuser, despite their children’s identification of the perpetrator and the existence of additional evidence of abuse. Appallingly, a mere 7% of the mothers in this sample were able to win full custody and to adequately protect their children.

Keywords: Bankruptcy, Substance Abuse, and Domestic Violence and Custody Outcomes

Affiliations:  1: California Protective Parents Association.