Research · Parental alienation
What happens to custody when a parent reports abuse?
A federally funded study of more than 2,000 court opinions looked at what happens when one parent alleges abuse and the other claims parental alienation.
What the source says
- The study analyzed ten years of published U.S. court opinions involving abuse allegations, parental alienation claims, and custody.
- When mothers alleged child abuse by fathers, the mothers lost custody 28% of the time.
- The study found that where Guardians ad Litem or custody evaluators were appointed, outcomes were less favorable for mothers.
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
Meier, J.S., Dickson, S., O’Sullivan, C., Rosen, L., & Hayes, J. (2019). Child Custody Outcomes in Cases Involving Parental Alienation and Abuse Allegations. George Washington University Law School. Funded by the National Institute of Justice.
More research
- 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
- Kayden’s Law
- New York custody bills
This page summarizes published sources. It is not legal, medical or therapeutic advice.