When domestic abuse and children are involved, divorce and custody can be the epitome of high stakes conflict where, often, the named perpetrator of a child abuses gains custody. This book helps laypeople, mental health professionals, and attorneys navigate the judicial process so that decisions are truly made in the best interest of children.

"Are you ensnared in the judicial system? Fearful, incredulous, isolated, beyond rage ... feeling "alienated" This unique book conjoins law, therapy, and research revealing a subtype of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder called Legal Abuse Syndrome. Legal Abuse Syndrome helps victims overcome psychological devastation caused by prolonged injustice"--

A mother and daughter disappear in the midst of a custody dispute, leaving behind indications that they left on purpose -- and that they didn't. A young journalism intern, Carrie Green, gets caught up in trying to find out what's happened to them. She astounds her editor by developing a rapport with the father of the missing girl even though no one else can stand him. Then she and her boyfriend infiltrate two opposing illegal networks, both of which seem to be connected to the case. And suddenly it starts to dawn on the young reporter that she's been believing all the wrong people...

Prosecuted But Not Silenced is a powerful documentary about a mother and daughter's tragic involvement with the judicial system when there were allegations of child sexual abuse—a human rights and civil rights issue for women and children. It is an important educational tool for judges, lawyers, social workers, therapists, politicians, and the general public so that people realize what still occurs today. A National Health Crisis, Maralee’s story reveals the last taboo and a crime that needs the public's attention, and emphasizes the need for training in the dynamics of maltreatment so that no more mothers have to suffer what happened to Maralee and her daughter.

The child protective system (CPS), shaped by federal law forty years ago and run on the state and county levels in the United States, offered in utopian fashion the hope of preventing all possible child abuse or neglect. In response, legislators enacted a spate of vague laws that poorly defined such categories as “abuse” and “neglect,” and granted the CPS sweeping powers to intrude into families, often on the basis of nothing more than anonymous complaints about standard childrearing practices. This arrangement, which followed from the questionable assertion of the existence of a crisis of child abuse and neglect, became the basis in theory for the universal monitoring of American families that has resulted in the sharp curtailing of parental rights and responsibilities. With overreaching by local and state governments into family affairs, the current CPS has not only damaged untold numbers of families but also undercut the legitimacy of parental authority through the continuous threat to parents of child removal. In Child Abuse, Family Rights, and the Child Protective System: A Critical Analysis from Law, Ethics, and Catholic Social Teaching, Stephen M. Krason gathers essays by leading scholars and practitioners to comment through the prism of Catholic social thought, on the plight afflicting American families and the role of the child protective system. Here readers will find critical essays on the deleterious effect of the 1974 passage of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act; assessments of current American policies on child abuse and neglect and the role of the CPS within the context of prevailing international human rights principles and Catholic social teaching; a survey of the enforcement of CPS policies from a legal and constitutional perspective; research data disputing the CPS principle that all parents are potential abusers and illustrating the greater prevalence of abuse and neglect in broken, “blended,” and “untraditional” families; and arguments for poverty and unemployment as the prime culprits in the mistreatment of children. Also included are the amicus curiae briefs that the Society of Catholic Social Scientists submitted in two U.S. Supreme Court cases on parental rights, the CPS, and state control over the family. Child Abuse, Family Rights, and the Child Protective System should appeal to a variety of professionals as well as scholars, from family court attorneys, social workers, family counselors, and clergy to researchers in the fields of social work, law, family studies, American politics, sociology, human services, counseling and psychology, and education, as well as public officials.

Domestic abuse is a national emergency: one in four Australian women has experienced violence from a man she was intimate with. But too often we ask the wrong question: why didn’t she leave? We should be asking: why did he do it? Investigative journalist Jess Hill puts perpetrators – and the systems that enable them – in the spotlight. See What You Made Me Do is a deep dive into the abuse so many women and children experience – abuse that is often reinforced by the justice system they trust to protect them. Critically, it shows that we can drastically reduce domestic violence – not in generations to come, but today. Combining forensic research with riveting storytelling, See What You Made Me Do radically rethinks how to confront the national crisis of fear and abuse in our homes. ‘A shattering book: clear-headed and meticulous, driving always at the truth’—Helen Garner ‘One Australian a week is dying as a result of domestic abuse. If that was terrorism, we’d have armed guards on every corner.’ —Jimmy Barnes ‘Confronting in its honesty this book challenges you to keep reading no matter how uncomfortable it is to face the profound rawness of people’s stories. Such a well written book and so well researched. See What You Made Me Do sheds new light on this complex issue that affects so many of us.’—Rosie Batty

A report on child abuse, offering guidelines for treatment of both the child and the family in an attempt to keep the abuse from recurring.

This guide covers sexual abuse in intrafamilial and other non-stranger situations. It details the civil legal interventions and strategies that may be employed in such cases

Family Court has become highly profitable business. In courtrooms across this nation, children are being torn away and isolated from their father or mother as they become pawns in a game designed to keep parent's fighting, and money flowing. Today, a narcissistic, abusive parent can easily use the "justice system" to punish, torment and alienate the target parent. CPS workers frequently use their power to enable such abuse, as their opinions are treated as scientific conclusions during trials where the alienated parent finds his or herself disparaged and maligned without evidence to back up such attacks other than the observations of these case workers. Maryann Petri's story is a critical example revealing the truth about Family Court corruption. It is a must-read for anyone going through such legal oppression, both to validate their suffering and to provide tools with which to fight back, as Maryann teaches what she has learned. Dismantling Family Court Corruption: Why Taking The Kids Was Not Enough tells the story of Maryann's journey, providing essential "Takeaways" throughout which conveys to the reader the wisdom she gained which can empower them to be stronger, more resilient and more successful in the midst of their own Family Court battles. As a Pro Se, Maryann has a better record than most attorneys, winning two cases in Superior Court.Dismantling Family Court Corruption is also an essential book to demonstrate how easily and effectively Family Law professionals are able to exploit the contention of parents, and proves the utter lack of oversight to prevent such abuse. Maryann's story is not unique; she is one of thousands whose tragedies have brought to the forefront the new psychological term: Parental Alienation. While painful to read, Maryann's story is fast-paced and provides many moments of humor and hope as she recounts courtroom experiences and what it was like being sent to jail, a real-life debtor's prison. Sitting in the holding cell, she used the acoustics of the cement walls to ring with beautiful music that even the guards stopped to admire. At only pages, it is an approachable book which can serve as one of the most important resources for raising awareness and starting conversations about Family Law Corruption and the reality of Parental Alienation. Maryann observes, "Although my story is ultimately tragic, as I lost my children to the beastly system, I can find purpose and meaning in what I have gone through. I hope that my book will serve to indict the system which broke (figuratively and financially) and damaged my family so that changes will be made to prevent such false accusations, extortion and persecution in the future."Maryann Petri is a first-hand-experience, leading expert on the issue of Family Court corruption. She is at the forefront of the movement to stop this abuse and has a website, blog and podcast which can be found at www.DismantlingFamilyCourtCorruption.com.