Citation

Fotheringham S, Dunbar J, Hensley D. J. Fam. Violence 2013; 28(4): 311-324.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s10896-013-9511-3

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The Speaking for Themselves (SFT) project sought to enhance the physical, emotional, and psychological safety of children exposed to domestic violence and high conflict custody and access disputes. Children were provided with both a trauma therapist and a lawyer, in an attempt to ensure their well-being while providing decision-makers with reliable and authentic information about these children's circumstances. This project was an attempt to balance the "best interests" approach applied in family law decision-making with the value placed on a child's right to be heard, an approach espoused by children's rights advocates. This article presents the SFT philosophy, model program, and evaluation results.

Language: en