The Center for Judicial Excellence is thrilled to announce that our U.S. Divorce Child Homicide research partner, Elizabeth Tomsich, Ph.D. from the UC Davis Violence Prevention Research Program, was recently awarded a grant for our collaborative project “The Deadly Consequences of DARVO (Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender) Tactics in Family Court.”
Center for Institutional Courage’s inaugural research grant program focuses on institutional courage and institutional betrayal, with emphasis on unstudied institutions and marginalized populations.
The Deadly Consequences of DARVO (Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender) Tactics in Family Court study seeks to identify themes in California family court custodial/visitation practices that resulted in institutional failure by the state to protect the best interests and safety of a child in the context of custody litigation. The study will review family court custodial cases in California between 2008-2021 where a child was killed by a parent or caretaker with a history of family or intimate partner violence (IPV) who was permitted contact with the child over the objection of a non-abusive, protective parent. In addition, we will conduct interviews with surviving protective parents and family members.