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Custody Stalking: A Mechanism of Coercively Controlling Mothers Following Separation

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Abstract

This paper adds to our understandings of women’s post-separation experiences of coercive control through the introduction of a new concept—custody stalking. It is defined as a malevolent course of conduct involving fathers’ use of custody and/or child protection proceedings to overturn historic patterns of care for children. The experience of custody stalking is explored through three composite narratives derived from twelve mothers who participated in an exploratory, qualitative study on the involuntary loss of maternal care time following separation. The losses suffered caused these mothers tremendous grief, damaged their psychological wellbeing and had a detrimental effect on their mothering relationships. Yet custody stalking, as a form of malevolent attack, is not well recognised and mothers’ resultant losses are largely culturally invisible. This is in marked contrast to paternal filicides, another form of post-separation avenging attack committed by some fathers that also leads to maternal loss experiences, albeit more absolute.

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Notes

  1. Paper abuse refers to the use of legal and other bureaucratic procedures by coercively controlling partners to continue to attack, harass and control their former partners through ‘exerting power over them, forcing them to have contact, and financially burdening them with the costs associated with litigation’ (Miller and Smolter 2011, 638).

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Acknowledgements

This article is dedicated to the twelve women who spoke with me about their experiences of loss, as well as to all of the other women who would have liked to have spoken formally to me about but could not face the ordeal. Your obvious love for your children and desire to protect them was and remains inspiring.

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  1. Sociology, School of Social Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Aotearoa, New Zealand

    Vivienne Elizabeth

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  1. Vivienne Elizabeth
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Correspondence to Vivienne Elizabeth.

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Elizabeth, V. Custody Stalking: A Mechanism of Coercively Controlling Mothers Following Separation. Fem Leg Stud 25, 185–201 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10691-017-9349-9

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