Smith, R., & Couches, P. (1997). Fairness and accuracy evaluations of domestic violence and child abuse in custody determinations. Judges' Journal, 36, 38-42.

Smith, R., & Couches, P. (1997). Fairness and accuracy evaluations of domestic violence and child abuse in custody determinations. Judges' Journal, 36, 38-42.

EXCERPT ". . .Although both common sense and the prevailing legal standard dictate careful consideration of evidence in domestic or family violence when determining custody, allegations of domestic violence and/or child sexual abuse made during a divorce or custody proceeding are not always taken seriously. These allegations often are wrongly perceived as false because they are asserted in a contentious environment and because of the widespread myth that parents fabricate domestic violence and child abuse allegations in order to gain an advantage in court. When combined with the misuse of psychological syndrome evidence, the perception that a parent has fabricated the allegations often results in unfair retribution against the reporting protective parent. (p. 39

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