Family Court Awareness Month

November is Family Court Awareness Month, which offers an opportunity to highlight the important role family court often plays in the lives of survivors and their children.

It’s important to remember that for many survivors of domestic violence, the danger doesn’t end when the relationship ends, and family court is a system where abusers often attempt to continue to intimidate and threaten their victims, exercise power and control, and use children to cause harm.

As such, family court can become a dangerous space for both survivors and their children, so it is imperative that court officials are able to recognize and respond appropriately to domestic violence.

If survivors don’t feel safe or supported in the family court system, they may feel pressure to remain in an abusive situation in an attempt to protect their children, which means education, awareness, and legal protections are essential to keeping survivors and their children safe.

So what be done to support survivors and their children?

1)      Education and Awareness

Domestic violence is a public health issue, and it’s important for professionals in all sorts of fields (like medicine, education, law enforcement, social services, and more) to have basic skills in recognizing, understanding, and responding to domestic violence.  And it’s especially important for court officials to have expertise in domestic violence and its complexities, as their decisions have a profound impact on the lives of survivors and their children.

2)      Understand the Impact on Children

Even when children are not directly harmed by an abusive parent, children often experience significant trauma and victimization when they witness abuse or violence in the home, which means it’s normal for children to need support, care, and protection to heal and stay safe.

3)      Connect Survivors and Their Children With Resources

Survivors and their children often need support long after an abusive relationship ends, especially if they’re experiencing post-separation abuse, re-victimization, and/or ongoing effects of trauma. If you need support, please call us. Our 24/7 hotline is always open: (414) 933-2722.

If you are a survivor who’s experiencing family court right now, we (as fellow survivors) want you to know:

You are not alone, and support is available. We encourage you to reach out to Sojourner to get connected with an advocate who can help and reach out to others who understand and share this experience. It’s okay to need support to stay strong, and you do not have to be alone in this experience.

You can learn more about Family Court Awareness Month, as well as find additional information and resources at: https://familycourtawarenessmonth.org