Secondary Victimization: Domestic Violence Survivors Navigating the Family Law System

Abstract

This qualitative study explored the experiences of 22 domestic violence survivors attempting to negotiate safe post-separation parenting arrangements through the Australian family law system. Their allegations of violence put them at odds with a system that values mediated settlements and shared parenting. Skeptical responses, accusations of parental alienation, and pressure to agree to unsafe arrangements exacerbated the effects of post-separation violence. Core themes in the women’s narratives of engagement with the family law system—silencing, control, and undermining the mother–child relationship—mirrored domestic violence dynamics, suggesting the concept of secondary victimization as a useful lens for understanding their experiences.