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Abstract

This article provides an overview of the legal response to parental abduction, and presents data from a study of parental abductions reported to two district attorney offices in California. Over 600 case files were examined, with a focus on the relationship between family violence and parental abductions. The data showed an overrepresentation of poor and minority families in the sample. Overall, about 34% of the left-behind parents, and 18% of the abductor parents had made allegations of family violence, with Hispanic abductors the least likely to make such allegations. Almost half of the violence allegations were substantiated by prior records, investigations or court records. However, very few parents had actually been charged with child abuse or domestic violence. Female abductors were more likely than male abductors to allege family violence. The data suggest that family violence may be a major factor in a parent's decision to take a child away from the other parent, particularly for female abductors.

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Family Violence and Parental Abductions: The Legal Response

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