In Children’s Best Interest: Applying a Perpetrator Pattern-Based Approach to Domestic Violence Cases in Family Court

Family courts are charged with balancing off child safety with meaningful relationships with both parents. What does this mean in the context of domestic violence? In many instances, courts are not clearly presented with the perpetrators’ patterns and the specifics of the harm it has caused, and emphasis on collaborative parenting can work against the best interests of children in these cases. Drawing on work in family court settings in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia, David Mandel, CEO and Founder of the Safe & Together Institute, will explore how the Safe & Together Model can help legal practitioners and others in family court matters. This workshop will look at the difference between risk and harm frameworks; the importance of understanding post separation coercive control and the targeting of professionals and systems as part of the perpetrators’ patterns; how to best understand and contextualize protective parenting behaviors; the centrality of a behavioral approach to objectivity and neutrality; and how to increase accountability for perpetrators as parents in the family court context. David will also explore themes like the “The Myth of Parental Alienation” from his recent book “Stop Blaming Mothers and Ignoring Fathers: How to transform the way we keep children safe from domestic violence.”

Speaker: David Mandel, CEO, Founder & Owner

Organization/Agency: Texas Bar Foundation/Safe & Together Institute

CEUs: MCLE 5.5 credit hours

Family Violence CJE 5.5 credit hours (Pending Application)

REGISTER HERE

*Limited to 50 attendees*