Risk factors for domestic violence experienced by mothers in family court care proceedings

The research aimed to address gaps in research into domestic violence and abuse, largely due to underreporting and differing methods of data collection. The team linked anonymised health, demographic and Cafcass (Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service) Cymru data held in SAIL Databank.

The study included a cohort of mothers involved in family court proceedings, as well as a comparison group from the general population who were not involved in these proceedings. The researchers found that just under 6% of mothers in the study cohort and 0.3% of mothers in the comparison group had exposure to domestic violence and abuse recorded by their GP.

This study also suggested conducting further research into the relationship between having a mental health condition and experiencing domestic violence and abuse. This could support in targeting additional resources towards specialist support services and mental health services.

This article was originally published on ADR Wales.

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