In a bipartisan and unanimous vote, the California Senate passed a bill today by Senator Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) that will protect victims and children by allowing for a pause in visitation if there are recent signs of escalating violent behavior by an abusive parent. Senate Bill 1265, “The Right to Pause Act: Child Custody Protection,” will amend the Family Code. It will clarify that in … [Read more...]
Florida SB 1796 Would Solidify a Dangerous Precedent for Our Most Vulnerable Children in Family Court
Florida’s family court system already frequently defaults to equal parental time-sharing, even in cases where one parent is a convicted abuser, even without SB 1796. Family court judges are given enormous leeway in their rulings and, should SB 1796 pass, this would simply strengthen their conviction that it is in the ‘best interest’ of the child to have unsupervised time with both parents, … [Read more...]
Maryland Judges Must Be Trained on Child Custody and Abuse – Opinion
There’s this place around the corner from you, seemingly insignificant, but it hosts a house of horrors. It’s a place where the same therapists, medical providers and teachers who are legally required to report suspected child abuse are not allowed to save a child before more abuse occurs. Where truth is obsolete, and right and wrong don’t matter. It’s called family court. And I’ve been trapped … [Read more...]
Someone is Mentally Ill, an Addict, or an Abuser: The Vastly Different Response in Family Court and in Life
Essay by Barry Goldstein Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Studies are medical research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ACE tells us that exposure to trauma is far more harmful to children than previously understood and has lifelong consequences unless preventive responses are taken soon enough. There are ten ACEs. Having parents who are mentally ill or engage in substance … [Read more...]
America’s ‘Troubled Teen Industry’ Needs Reform So Kids Can Avoid the Abuse I Endured – Opinion by Paris Hilton
When I was 16 years old, I was awakened one night by two men with handcuffs. They asked if I wanted to go “the easy way or the hard way” before carrying me from my home as I screamed for help. I had no idea why or where I was being taken against my will. I soon learned I was being sent to hell. Read more here. … [Read more...]