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Domestic violence is irrelevant to parental fitness.
Because children often suffer physical and emotional harm from living in violent homes, domestic violence is extremely relevant to parental fitness. A history of domestic violence can indicate that the perpetrating parent physically or emotionally abuses the child as well as the other parent. In addition, abusers frequently use the children as pawns to continue to control the other parent. Further, an abuser's focus on controlling the victim undermines the abuser's ability to parent because the primary concern is not the child. Courts should consider the effects of the abuser's behavior on the children when determining custody and visitation arrangements.