Mothers and Children Seeking

Safety:

A Study of Hague Cases Involving Domestic Violence

Funded by the National Institute of Justice2006-WG-BX-0006

Taryn Lindhorst, PhD, LCSWCarol LaMare Associate Professor

UW School of Social Work

• What are the experiences of women who flee with their children to the U.S. to escape abusive spouses?

• Why do US judges return some children to the other country while others allow mothers and children to stay in the US?

Life and Death Consequences

Cassandra Hasonovic

Hajrudin Hasonovic

Danyela and Deylan Perisic

Reasons for Parental Abduction

Sources: Grief & Hegar, 1993; Sagatun-Edwards et al., 2000; Chiancone, Girdner & Hoff, 2001

Defining Children’s Exposure

to Domestic Violence

Meta-analysis of studies

• No significant differences between witnesses and abused children

• Abused witnesses (dual exposed) significantly greater problems than those who witnessed only

Kitzmann et al. (2003)

Mothers’ Perspectives

Case Outcomes

Children remained in U.S.

(n = 10) 45%

Children returned to other country

(n = 12)55%

Hague Outcomes & Violence

Case Outcome

Battered Mother

AND Child

Battered Mother ONLY

EmotionalTerrorizing

UnclearAbuse

Child remained in US with Mother

6 2 1 1

Child returned to other country with Father

2 8 1 1

Total 8 10 2 2

Hague Defense Statistics

Defense

Asserted SuccessfulNumber Percent Number Percent

Grave Risk to Child 38 81% 12 26%

Parent Acquiesced 14 30% 1 2%

Settled in New Place 12 26% 3 6%

Child Objection 9 19% 2 4%

Human Rights 7 15% 0 0%

26%

Factors in Successful Grave Risk Defense (N=12)

Domestic Violence Dynamics

Contextualized Assessment of DV

From: Lindhorst, Nurius & Macy, 2005. Contextualized Assessment Planning with Battered Women: Strategic Safety Planning to Cope with Multiple Harms.Journal of Social Work Education, 41, 331 – 352.

Policy & Practice Implications

Acknowledgements

• University of Minnesota• Jeffrey Edleson, PhD, School of Social Work• Sudha Shetty, JD, Humphrey Institute

• University of Washington• Gita Mehrotra, MSW, School of Social Work• William Vesneski, MSW, JD, School of Social Work

• Others• Luz Lopez, Ph.D., Boston University• Thomson Reuters Legal Division, volunteers from

FindLaw and WestLaw• Seattle University, Access to Justice Institute• National Advisory Group