Child Abuse and Family Law: Understanding the issues facing human service and legal professionals

Child abuse in the context of parental separation and divorce is not a malicious allegation, nor a misunderstanding. It is a real and growing problem with very young children as the primary victims.

Child Abuse and Family Law draws on pioneering research to identify the causes, features and impact of child abuse in parental separation and divorce. The authors argue that professionals working with these families need to better understand the specific and often severe nature of this abuse to improve outcomes for both the children and their families.

The authors develop a much-needed practice framework for all socio-legal professionals involved in the family law system. Using case studies, they take a multi-disciplinary approach to outline strategies for family lawyers, child legal representatives, social workers, child protection workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, health workers and teachers.