Task Forces and Initiatives
Family court judges, lawyers, domestic violence advocates, social science and legal scholars, court administrators and psychologists were among the nearly 40 participants who attended a Think Tank on Domestic Violence and Family Courts, cosponsored by the AFCC and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) on February 15-17, 2007 at the Johnson Foundations’ Wingspread Conference Center in Racine, Wisconsin.
Participants spent two days addressing critical issues raised by the growing awareness that not all uses of violence in intimate relationships are the same. It has been widely acknowledged that domestic violence varies according to the motivation of the abusing partner; the significance of the violence to the victim and other members of the household; whether or not the violence is likely to recur; and whether it is likely to be accompanied by controlling or manipulative behaviors.
Until this conference, there had been no large-scale gathering of the disparate views of many relevant professions, and no attempt to resolve differences in ways that will improve system outcomes for families afflicted by these problems.
The Report from the conference, written by conference reporters, Professors Nancy Ver Steegh and Clare Dalton, will be the centerpiece of a special issue of
Family Court Review in July 2008. In addition to the Report, the special issue will feature articles co-authored by writers from the domestic violence advocacy and family courts community. The issue will also address topics including terminology, differentiate approaches to parenting plans, screening, cultural issues and dispute resolution interventions. The Report can be access by clicking the link below.
Report on Wingspread Conference on Domestic Violence and Family Courts (PDF)
