SUCCESS STORIES

Survivors of domestic violence link research with community organizing to help reform New York City Family Courts that have failed to protect women and children.  The research revealed systematic bias and an indifference to domestic violence in families.

Re-victimizing Women and Endangering Children

“My husband was given physical custody of our son, even though I had been home with him since he was born. Neither the law guardian nor the judge asked me a single question. The law guardian never even met our son” (Alice)

New York City’s Voices of Women Organizing Project had often heard that visits to family courts traumatized victims of domestic violence. Project members decided to document the experiences of formerly abused women served by the family court system.

The study found that family courts did not follow its own legal and ethical standards of conduct or existing policies and procedures for safeguarding families. The study also found that the courts were biased toward men and provided preferential treatment toward parties with greater wealth or having a higher social status. The most troubling finding of the three- year study was that the courts minimized domestic violence and made decisions that placed children in danger.

The research presented in the report, Justice Denied: How NYC Family Courts Endanger Battered Women and Children, revealed an overburdened system that re-victimizes women and lacked the oversight mechanisms that can guard against racial bias, corruption, and poorly informed child custody decisions.

Linking Research to Action

Advocates used the research to advocate for several procedural reforms that improved the experiences of women in the New York family court system. Reforms included domestic violence sensitivity training for court staff, better enforcement of the New York State Bar Association Law Guardian Representation Standards, and other safeguards that protect the rights of domestic violence survivors. Negotiations with the courts also resulted in better working relationships with family court judges.

Voices of Women’s success in influencing the courts made the organization an ideal candidate for the Sociological Initiatives Foundation’s 2009 Leo P. Chall Award. The award honors grantee organizations that link research with advocacy. It highlights organizations with projects that build strong community partnerships, increase organizational effectiveness, and influence public policy.

“This project stands out because the very women who have been affected by the courts were involved in all aspects of the research, analysis, and action that pushed to make the family court system more responsive to women and their families,” said Sociological Initiatives Foundation Chair, Glenn Jacobs.

The Voices of Women Organizing Project (VOW) is the lead initiative of the Battered Women’s Resource Center. The center is a leading grassroots advocacy organization of domestic violence survivors working to improve the many systems battered women and their children rely on for safety and justice.

The award is named after Leo P. Chall, the founder of Sociological Abstracts. Launched in 1953, Sociological Abstracts abstracted and indexed international literature in sociology and related social and behavioral sciences. The Sociological Initiatives Foundation was endowed with funding from the proceeds of the sale of Sociological Abstracts in 1999. The foundation makes grants to support research that promotes social change.

Project Name: Justice Denied: How NYC Family Courts Endanger Battered Women and Children,
Grantee: Battered Women’s Resource Center Voices of Women Project
Project Location: New York, NY
Grantmaker: Sociological Initiatives Foundation

For more Information Contact:
Prentice Zinn, Sociological Initiatives Foundation c/o GMA Foundations, 617-426-7080;
Tanya McLeod, Coordinator, Voices of Women, (212) 696-1481