DOI: 10.3886/icpsr36594.v1
title: State Laws and Child Custody Recommendations in Cases of Intimate Partner Violence, 2009-2010 [United States]
title: Version 1

description: These data are part of NACJD's Fast Track Release and are distributed as they were received from the data depositor. The files have been zipped by NACJD for release, but not checked or processed except for the removal of direct identifiers. Users should refer to the accompanying readme file for a brief description of the files available with this collection and consult the investigator(s) if further information is needed.
This study was a secondary analysis of Custody Evaluators' Beliefs about Domestic Abuse Allegations, 2009-2010 [United States] (ICPSR 30962 - https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR30962.v1). The purpose of this study was to conduct further analysis of a recent, National Institute of Justice (NIJ) sponsored national survey of professionals to better understand the relationship between family law statutes and professionals' recommendations for child custody and visitation in cases of intimate partner violence. The samples involve 512 child custody evaluators and 200 judges from 46 states. Evaluators and judges responded to a case vignette of serious intimate partner violence (IPV). They indicated recommendations they would make for custody and visitation and the perceived risk of future harm. Evaluators also reported on their history of actual recommendations in IPV cases. The original study investigated beliefs about custody, value-laden beliefs, knowledge professionals had acquired on IPV, the number of survivors they had known, and their work setting, education, and other demographics. In the current study, statutory provisions with sufficient sample sizes of professionals with and without the provisions were used in the analysis.
description: The purpose of this study was to extend analysis of Custody Evaluators' Beliefs about Domestic Abuse Allegations, 2009-2010 [United States] (ICPSR 30962 - https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR30962.v1) related to professionals' recommendations for child custody in intimate partner violence (IPV) cases, and to provide a valid assessment of the relationship between state laws and professionals' recommendations.
description: Subjects were recruited from existing lists of professional from professional organizations, from the web, and through snowball techniques. Survey invitation lists were generated for evaluators and judges from several sources, such as the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC). 4017 email invitations and 1665 letters were sent out in total. The data were obtained from Custody Evaluators' Beliefs about Domestic Abuse Allegations, 2009-2010 [United States]  (ICPSR 30962 - https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR30962.v1) and 17 variables were added to the existing dataset.
description: For the first 143 variables, please see Custody Evaluators' Beliefs about Domestic Abuse Allegations, 2009-2010 [United States] (ICPSR 30962 - https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR30962.v1) for details. The remaining 17 variables asked if the respondents personally knew a victim of domestic violence and that person's relationship to them, as well as the relationship of state laws to custody-visitation outcomes, such as "friendly parent" laws.
description: Presence of Common Scales: 
					Users should consult Custody Evaluators' Beliefs about Domestic Abuse Allegations, 2009-2010 [United States] (ICPSR 30962 - https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR30962.v1) for scales information.
description: Response Rates: 
					Users should consult Custody Evaluators' Beliefs about Domestic Abuse Allegations, 2009-2010 [United States] (ICPSR 30962 - https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR30962.v1) for response rate information.
description: Datasets: 
					
						DS1: Dataset
description: face-to-face interview
description: mail questionnaire
description: web-based survey
description: Family law judges and child custody evaluators within the United States.
				   		Smallest Geographic Unit: State
description: Users should consult Custody Evaluators' Beliefs about Domestic Abuse Allegations, 2009-2010 [United States] (ICPSR 30962 - https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR30962.v1) for sampling information.