Health-related experiences of family court and domestic abuse in England: A looming public health crisis

Abstract

Domestic abuse is known to be harmful to victim-survivor mothers’ well-being, and women are disadvantaged by gender-biased systems in England. Less is known, however, about victims’ experiences with family court specifically in relation to their mental and physical health. Interviews with 45 mothers were conducted to explore these experiences. Two main themes are presented here: (1) physical and mental health experiences associated with family court proceedings and (2) parental alienation allegations as a weapon to trap, silence, and pathologise mothers. From these themes, a conceptual framework was developed: Court and Perpetrator Induced Trauma (CPIT). These findings may have global significance for services and practitioners who work with mothers exposed to family court.