A Perilous Journey: Seeking Protection in the Aftermath of Domestic Violence

Abstract

The prevalence of child abuse and domestic violence during and following parental separation makes the family law system an important, albeit often unrecognised and poorly integrated part of the child protection system (Brown and Alexander, 2007). Yet changes in family law over the past decade have created a problematic context for women seeking protection for themselves and their children from domestic violence after separation. This paper presents some findings from a study that explored the experiences of women who were involved in post separation contact between children and former partners who had been violent. The findings reveal both the debilitating effects of living with perpetrators' ongoing efforts to exercise power and control, and the ways in which the women resisted these tactics and worked to increase the safety of themselves and their children in a context in which their struggles to achieve safety were often unrecognised and unsupported.