Family Violence Evaluations
Coercive Control Battery Assessments
Abuse Doesn't End After Divorce
Domestic violence encompasses any assault within family or intimate relationships, with the predominant form being coercive control—a calculated, persistent pattern of behavior used to manipulate, harass, intimidate, isolate, exploit, and dominate a victim. This abuse reflects the abuser's intimate knowledge of the partner’s vulnerabilities, leveraging those fears and hopes to maintain power. Coercive control is a deliberate strategy aimed at fostering dependence and fear, exploiting victims sexually, financially, and psychologically, ultimately making compliance seem like the least painful option. It traps victims, obstructing their ability to seek help or escape safely.
Research reveals a significant gap in custody courts: many evaluators lack the necessary expertise to recognize or respond to domestic violence and child abuse dynamics. Their limited understanding of coercive control and batterer behavior results in custody decisions that often fail to protect children and abuse survivors effectively. Addressing this knowledge deficit is crucial to ensuring child safety and just custody outcomes.
Expert Battery and Coercive Control Evaluations for Child Custody: Systematic Domestic Violence Assessment by Dr. Jenna Saul
Dr. Jenna Saul has developed, in collaboration with leading experts in the domestic abuse and coercive control field, a rigorous and systematic methodology for Battery and Coercive Control Evaluations. This comprehensive approach is critical to ensuring that screenings for domestic violence are thorough, evidence-based, and conducted by professionals with specialized expertise.
A proper Battery and Coercive Control Evaluation must be methodical and informed by deep knowledge of domestic violence dynamics. Dr. Saul’s methodology prioritizes understanding the lived experiences of both parents and children involved in family court proceedings. This allows her evaluations to capture the full nature, context, and impact of abuse at every stage of custody decision-making.
Key components of Dr. Saul’s evaluation process include:
Comprehensive Safety Assessment: Evaluating the immediate and long-term safety risks to the child and non-abusive parent, identifying threats posed by the abusive parent, and recommending protective measures.
Insight into Abuse Dynamics: Providing the court with an expert analysis of coercive control tactics and abuse patterns to contextualize the abuse’s impact on all family members.Parenting Capacity Assessment: Assessing how domestic violence affects the abusive parent’s ability to provide a safe and nurturing environment
Child-Centered Recommendations: Formulating custody and visitation recommendations that prioritize child safety and incorporate safeguards to mitigate risks associated with coercive control.
Expert Testimony: Offering authoritative courtroom testimony to clarify findings and support the court in making informed, child-focused custody decisions
Resource Guidance: Suggesting resources and support services tailored to families affected by domestic violence and coercive control to aid recovery and promote well-being.
This systematic and expert-driven approach is vital because many custody evaluators lack critical knowledge in recognizing and addressing domestic violence, often resulting in inadequate protection for children and abused parents. Dr. Saul’s methodology ensures that custody evaluations reflect the seriousness of domestic abuse and provide courts with reliable, actionable insights that uphold safety and justice.
By integrating multi-disciplinary research and forensic expertise, Dr. Jenna Saul’s Battery and Coercive Control Evaluations stand as a gold standard in family court forensic consulting.
When Your Efforts to Protect Your Child Are Overlooked:
Work Product Reviews & Expert Custody Evaluation by Dr. Jenna Saul
Custody evaluators often rely on psychological tests that fail to detect domestic violence or coercive control, resulting in non-probative evidence dismissing true reports of abuse. Most evaluators lack the specialized expertise necessary to identify and effectively respond to domestic violence dynamics. Research shows that even family court professionals who express awareness of domestic violence frequently underestimate its severity, often concluding cases are “not that bad.”
If you feel your efforts to protect your child’s best interests have been ignored or misunderstood, Dr. Jenna Saul can assist. With over 25 years of forensic experience and domestic violence expertise, she offers thorough work product reviews of custody evaluations (parenting plan evaluations). Dr. Saul’s reviews critically assess gaps and biases in evaluations, ensuring that safety risks and abuse dynamics are fully acknowledged and addressed. Her involvement can be crucial in providing courts with reliable, scientifically grounded insights necessary for safeguarding children and targeted parents.
Dr Jenna Saul: Ensuring Your Child’s Best Interests
Amplifying Your Voice in Family Court
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Jenna Saul, MD @ChildsBestInterest
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