Abuse Assessments Often Ignored in Custody Disputes
Friday, July 6, 2007 10:00 AM
Despite the development of numerous psychological assessments to measure trauma in children, courts and social workers often ignore these tests which could be helpful in custody disputes, advocates for battered women and children claim. According to psychologists and psychiatrists who carry out the assessments, the reason they are not used more often is that they are time-consuming, expensive, and not always conclusive. Advocates say that in disputes that often become cases of dueling experts, these reports could help the court come to a decision more beneficial for the child. Compiled from: Tessier, Marie, “Custody Disputes Often Bypass Abuse Assessments,” Women’s e news, 6 July 2007.