Law · Federal
Kayden’s Law
The Keeping Children Safe From Family Violence Act, known as Kayden’s Law, became federal law in March 2022 as part of the Violence Against Women Act reauthorization.
What the source says
- The law is named for Kayden Mancuso, age 7, of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, who was killed by her father during court-ordered unsupervised visitation.
- It ties federal grant funding to states that require evidence-based family violence training for judges, court personnel and custody evaluators.
- Training topics named in the law include child sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, coercive control, implicit and explicit bias, trauma, and the long- and short-term impacts of domestic violence and child abuse on children.
Our view
Mothers and fathers both report abuse. Whichever parent you are, reporting abuse should never be turned against you, and no parent should be labeled “alienating” for trying to protect a child.
Source
Keeping Children Safe From Family Violence Act, Title XV of the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022.
More research
- Custody outcomes study
- UN report on custody and violence
- World Health Organization
- Custody evaluators’ beliefs
- Children exposed to domestic violence
- Domestic violence and child trauma
- Child abuse statistics
- Children killed during custody disputes
- New York custody bills
This page summarizes published sources. It is not legal, medical or therapeutic advice.