Ep 205: Children as Collateral Damage in Family Court | The Hidden Impact of Post-Separation Abuse

We don’t talk enough about the real collateral damage of broken systems.And it’s not just survivors.It’s our kids.In this episode, I’m naming something that so many of you are living through but rarely see acknowledged out loud — the ways children are impacted when systems like family court, child protection, and even therapeutic settings fail to fully understand coercive control and domestic violence.Because this isn’t just about what happened in the relationship.It’s about what continues to happen after separation… when you’re doing everything “right,” and your child is still paying the price.We’re talking about the full spectrum of collateral damage — from the quieter, everyday barriers (like not being able to access therapy due to joint decision-making) to the more extreme and devastating outcomes that can occur when abuse is minimized, misunderstood, or ignored.This episode is honest. It’s heavy.And it also holds space for hope — because that matters too.In this episode, we cover:How coercive control and post-separation abuse continue to impact kidsWhy joint decision-making can block access to critical careHow children learn to stay silent in medical, legal, and therapeutic settingsThe impact of misinformed professionals (including in therapy and court)How fear, threats, and “provoke and record” dynamics affect childrenThe misuse of terms like “parental alienation” and its consequencesWhat happens when abuse (including sexual abuse) is not believed or substantiatedThe emotional and psychological toll on protective parents and childrenPeer-Reviewed Articleshttps://www.law.georgetown.edu/georgetown-law-journal/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2022/06/Meier_Denial-of-Family-Violence-in-Court.pdfhttps://scholarship.law.gwu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2809&context=faculty_publicationshttps://scholarship.law.gwu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1857&context=faculty_publicationshttps://barrygoldstein.net/component/tags/tag/the-saunders-studyPlease leave us a review or rating and follow/subscribe to the show. This helps the show get out to more people.If you want to chat more about this topic, I would love to continue our conversation over on Instagram! @risingbeyondpcIf you want to support the show, you may do so here at Buy Me A Coffee. Thank you! We love being able to make this information accessible to you and your community.If you've been looking for a supportive community of women going through the topics we cover, head over to our website to learn more about the Rising Beyond Community. - https://www.risingbeyondpc.com/Wondering where to start? Check out our top free resources - https://www.risingbeyondpc.com/resources.htmlIf you're interested in guesting on the show, please fill out this form - https://forms.gle/CSvLWWyZxmJ8GGQu7Where to find more from Rising Beyond:Rising Beyond FacebookRising Beyond LinkedInRising Beyond Pinterest