Intimate partner violence, parental divorce, and child custody: Directions for intervention and future research

Joint custody and cooperative coparenting are often unsafe for women who leave violent partners. Although certain legal protections are available, more work is needed to understand and address abused women's needs in this context. This study provides divorce scholars and practitioners with information on the interface between separation/divorce and intimate partner violence. We review existing research, policies, and programs and propose directions for intervention and research that center around the unique needs of these families.