Anyone who has been through or is currently going through a divorce will tell you how much it can affect not only them and their spouse but also any children they have. Knowing how child abuse proceedings impact divorce can help you to make the right decision as to whether it’s the route you want to take.
Most of those who use false allegations of child abuse don’t look at how the accusations can affect their children, only how it can help them to gain what they want and hurt their ex-partner in the most horrific way possible.
Over recent years a number of people using child abuse as grounds for divorce have risen. This is not to say that the number of children being abused is rising, but that more people are reporting it during their proceedings. The majority of the allegations turn out to be unfounded; however, by that point, the damage to involved parties has already been done.
If there is a genuine reason to think your child has faced abuse at the hands of your spouse (or anyone else) it is important to seek help for your child first and foremost by telling the relevant authorities the concerns you have and why. When abuse has taken place involving a young child most will put the incident(s) to the back of their minds making it difficult to prove should it be necessary. The next step once seeking help should be to stop contact with the potential abuser to prevent further harm until the matter is dealt with.
Unfortunately for the accused should there be allegations involving DCPP made, unlike other crimes they will be treated as a guilty party until otherwise proven. This can make it difficult to gain employment or continue in current job roles especially if working with children or vulnerable people. The effect of the accusation can be extremely difficult to deal with for all involved parties including the accused, child and accuser. It may be advisable to seek therapy to help you through this difficult time.
The way child abuse investigations impact divorce can include the accused having a damaged reputation. As well as the reputation loss of employment can lead to monetary problems and most importantly of all the relationship between parent and child can be damaged. If the relationship is damaged it can years before the psychological fallout occurs or before the damage can even be repaired.
Rather than cross-examining your child should you suspect abuse it should be left to a professional. Of course, let your child speak freely should they wish to but do not prompt or feed information. Let it instead flow freely until they meet with a therapist.
Unfortunately for those accused wrongly of abuse the allegations made can come at any point, before or after the divorce is filed. This means that preventative suspension of visitation rights will still take place. The reason for this is that should the accused parent have left the family home a child could feel safe enough to disclose information they were frightened to beforehand.
Separation of parents has already been shown to have ill effects on the children with almost half of them ending up turning to crime, drugs and money problems. They can seek companionship from gangs or even want to start their own family while still young themselves. Most accusers don’t look at how the accusations can affect their children, only how it can help them to gain what they want and hurt their ex-partner in the most horrific way possible.
Options such as visitation with another person present may be advised until the proceedings have been undertaken. This, of course, will be a far cry from being able to pick children up from their home and take them out without supervision but allows continued contact so that the relationship is not hindered further.
