Domestic Violence, Contested Custody, and the Courts: A Review of Findings from Five Studies with Accompanying Documentary

Abstract

In keeping with the 2011 PSA meeting's theme, “Sociologists as Claims Makers: Turning Theory Into Action,” the presidential address reported research findings (scientific sociology) that were accompanied by a documentary that represented the research results (applied sociology). Guided by a social constructionist perspective, findings from five studies were organized into seven themes to demonstrate the problems domestic violence victims, or protective parents, encounter when their abusers entangle them in contested custody battles. The documentary shown in the presidential address can be viewed in this article by connecting to a link provided. It is noted that the focus of the research and documentary remain at the social issue level—a phenomenon that exists in society, but has not yet been defined as a social problem. It is argued that the problems identified in the research are affecting many thousands of domestic violence victims and their children, yet the issue has received minimal attention in the discipline of sociology.