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Abstract: 

“Father’s Rights or Abuser’s Rights?” examines how the modern father’s-rights movement, while claiming to promote equality in parenting, often masks efforts by abusive men to regain power and control over former partners through family court. Tracing its origins from 19th-century reactions against women’s emancipation to today’s campaigns for mandatory shared parenting, the article argues that this ideology undermines the safety of mothers and children by minimizing domestic violence and coercive control. Through case studies, research, and legal analysis, it shows how courts’ misplaced emphasis on “equal rights” over child safety enables abusers to weaponize custody and evade accountability. The author calls for reform centered on children’s well-being, rigorous domestic-violence assessment, and moral responsibility in defining true fatherhood.

Keywords: Father’s Rights Movement; Domestic Violence; Coercive Control; Custody Disputes; Shared Parenting; Gender Bias; Child Safety

Affiliations:  1: Certified High Conflict Divorce Coach and Family Law Mediator.