Malicious Reports of Child Maltreatment as Coercive Control: Mothers and Domestic and Family Violence

This article explores the phenomenon of abusive partners or ex-partners making malicious false reports of child maltreatme nt to child protective services as an aspect of coercive control and systems abuse. The article draws on interviews with 65 women who have been victims of DFV, focusing on the experiences of 11 of the interviewees who have been maliciously reported, or received threats that they will be reported, to child protection services by an abusive ex-partner. Those interviewees who had been the victim of malicious reports of child maltreatment by an abusive partner or ex-partner experienced substantial negative impacts. The article concludes that improved investigation processes and investigating both parties, where the reporting party has been found to be a perpetrator of DFV, may better support victims of DFV and deter perpetrators from this form of abuse.
Source: Journal of Family Violence - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research