PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF CHILD ABUSE ALLEGATIONS IN CUSTODY AND ACCESS DISPUTES IN THE FAMILY COURT |
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| Authors: | Thea Brown Margarita Frederico Lesley Hewitt Rosemary Sheehan |
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| Institution: | Thea Brown is a professor in the Department af Social Work and Humun Services at Monash University, Victoria. She also works in the Family violence and Family Court Research Program.;Margarita Frederico was head at Social Work at the Australian Catholic University, Canberra, and is now a Senior lecturer at LaTrobe University, Victoria. She also works in the Family Violence and Family Court Research Program.;Lesley Hewitt works in the Department of Social Work and Human Services at Monash Universiiy, Victoria. She also works in the Family Violence and Family Court Research Program.;Rosemary Sheehan works in the Department of Social Work and Human Services at Monash University, Victoria. She also works in the Family Violence and Family Court Research Program. |
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| Abstract: | Child abuse allegations in custody and access disputes are serious matters and present family courts worldwide with major problems. This article reports a large research study just completed that investigated the way the Family Court of Australia managed child abuse cases. The study showed that such cases had become a substantial part of the court's current workload, their "core business" in fact. The families involved had many difficulties, including a history of family violence, and the present system was not appropriate for their particular problems. Thus, as new specialized court lead model of intervention was devised, based on principles relevant to family violence and incorporating the most effective strategies identified in the research. |
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