Legal abuse in the family courts: Examining indicators, prevalence, and association with coercive control

Carter, Maya L.

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/124331 Copy

Description

Title

Legal abuse in the family courts: Examining indicators, prevalence, and association with coercive control

Author(s)

Carter, Maya L.

Issue Date

2024-04-29

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Hardesty, Jennifer L.

Committee Member(s)

Ogolsky, Brian G.

Department of Study

Human Dvlpmt & Family Studies

Discipline

Human Dvlpmt & Family Studies

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

M.S.

Degree Level

Thesis

Keyword(s)

• Coercive control
• Legal abuse

Abstract

Legal abuse, or the exploitation of the family court system to abuse and control a former partner, is a pervasive yet neglected issue that threatens survivors of intimate partner violence and their children during divorce. To contribute to this growing body of literature, the current study aimed to 1) identify and examine the prevalence of indicators of legal abuse in divorce records and 2) examine the association between the frequency of coercive control during marriage and the likelihood of the presence of legal abuse in divorce records. The data were derived from a larger study that combined self-report survey data from mothers and corresponding administrative records for divorces filed between 2009 and 2013 in a Midwest county. Indicators of legal abuse were conceptualized as custody stalking, manipulating child support, prolonging the case, distorting finances and inflicting financial burden, or threats and harassment. A case was coded to have the presence of legal abuse if it contained at least one of these indicators. Among 178 cases, 38 (22%) had the presence of legal abuse indicators, suggesting an overall low prevalence. However, higher frequencies of coercive control during marriage were associated with a higher likelihood of the presence of legal abuse in divorce records. Implications and recommendations for family court and state judiciaries are provided.

Graduation Semester

2024-05

Type of Resource

Thesis

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2024 Maya Carter

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