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IEFV | Ellen R. Gutowski - Legal Abuse as a Continuation of Coercive Control
Online Event
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At the vulnerable time of separation, many survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) enter into family courts in search of protection for themselves and their children. However, they may instead face a distressing court process in which they must confront the person who abused them and encounter legal determinations that place them and their families in danger. As many survivors – particularly those who are mothers - have no choice but to engage in the family court system to address matters such as divorce and child custody, this legal institution serves as an important gatekeeper to safety. Thus, it is essential to understand why survivors repeatedly report such - often extreme - negative experiences. A growing number of studies point to legal abuse -- abusive partners’ use of court processes to enact coercive control -- as an overlooked, yet critical mechanism through which survivors and their children are harmed during family court processes. This presentation will provide an overview of the author’s existing research on legal abuse and discuss several implications of this research for practice.
Ellen R. Gutowski, PhD CPsych is a registered psychologist as well as an Assistant Professor at University of Toronto in the Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development at Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. Her research centers on intimate partner violence. She is particularly committed to understanding how systems-level responses to those affected may either promote well-being or unintentionally cause harm and to understanding how providers and systems can be trauma-informed and anti-oppressive. She received her PhD from Boston College, completed a clinical fellowship at Harvard Medical School, and a doctoral residency at Emory School of Medicine. She has received a number of grants and awards for her research from agencies including SSHRC and the American Society of Criminology.
This event is pending approval for 1.0 hour of Minimum Continuing Legal Education Credit by the State Bar of California. UC Irvine School of Law is a State Bar-approved MCLE provider.