Children who are subjected to domestic violence may be at a higher risk for developing PTSD. This may occur in childhood or later when that child turns into an adult. In some cases, these problems can persist after his or her parents get divorced. This is partially because of a belief that a child may be safe from an abusive parent after a separation or divorce.
Children may also be used as bargaining chips by their parents after their relationship ends. There is also no guarantee that the parent who was the victim of abuse is the one who gets custody of his or her children. In some cases, an abusive mother or father may actually win custody despite his or her past actions. This may occur because the abuse victim is not physically or mentally capable of taking care of a child or children.
In a child custody dispute, the best interests of the child are the primary motivation for coming to a resolution in the case. Therefore, a parent may need to establish that he or she is the most capable of taking care of and providing for a son or daughter’s physical and mental needs. An attorney may be able to review a case to determine how to best establish this.
In the event that a parent has a past history of abuse or other issues, an attorney may show that he or she is taking steps to resolve the issue. This may enable a mother or father to either win custody or other parental rights. Over time, it may be possible to go from having supervised visitation to partial or complete physical or legal custody over a child depending on the facts of the case.