When I started to help my granddaughter regain custody of her son, a hidden area of child abuse was revealed to me. Carefully masked by the veil of the judicial system are the stories of Family Relations Courts gone amok. As so often happens, when the student is ready, the teacher appears. Arriving in my e-mail was an announcement about a workshop based on a new book, Domestic Violence, Abuse, and Child Custody: Legal Strategies and Policy Issues. Of course, I attended.
Barry Goldstein, JD, one of the editors, was the primary presenter. The 24 authors come from a broad multi-disciplinary group to shine their light on a broken court system being abused by highly developed abusers. The tactics these men used in their relationships are cunningly transferred to the Family Court System. No one is immune to their manipulation and the sad part is their children are the ultimate victims.
There are numerous groups who formed to develop awareness of the issue and are working toward solutions. Be on the lookout for them and learn about the intricacies of these issues. Through this blog, I will share with you what I learn. Additionally, there are several tele-seminar trainings in development that will be coming soon in the Virtual Training Center. You’ll learn about them firsthand here on the blog.
As for my granddaughter, she is scheduled for the first step in the process. Hopefully, she will finally see her baby within the next month. It is almost 4 months since she’s had any contact with him.
Dr. Debra, What an important issue you have brought to our attention. After struggling with being a victim of abuse, it must be worse than putting salt on a wound to have the court system play into the hands of the abuser rather than protecting the abused. It is like a parent who turns a blind eye while the abuse of a child is blatantly happening. Thank you for being a voice of sanity in this madness.
Dr. Erica
How cruel for mother and baby to be separated, another potential trauma for the little one!
When I read your blog and the masterful manipulators who abuse the system, I cannot but reflect on all the other areas where all our systems are overstretched, from predatory leadership to….the list is long!
Jean Houston in her book ‘Jump Time’ talks about this momentous transition our world is moving through. No gradual transition will do, only radical transformation, jumping into a whole new level of consciousness will get us through.
Thank you for sticking your neck out and revealing the hidden truth.