Postseparation Contact Between Children and Their Violent Fathers: Whose Best Interest Is It?

It can be confusing, frightening, and risky for children exposed to a range of interpersonal violent parental relationships. London is home to a diverse range of global cultures, and social workers in the UK are constantly interpreting the meaning of violence or coercive control in the context of the family’s cultural context to investigate and assess the risk levels attached with the children living in these households. It is well documented that the risk of domestic violence, including risk to life, increases in the postseparation period. Where parents separate and the violent parent, often the father, pursues contact with the child, social workers are facilitating decisions that are in the child’s best interest. A few women’s lived experiences are presented in this chapter, which illustrate different perspectives of parental participation. The composite case studies presented here are about families from various backgrounds, and the names, locations, and all details of the women have been changed to protect their identities. Some women were forced to flee their countries of origin due to conflict and now live in the UK at risk of violence, while others were born in the UK and have a long history of being at risk of harm. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic had increased the risk of domestic violence due to the lockdown and the associated difficulties of children moving between two households. Whether the child has contact with the violent parent, or not, is a continuous decision-making that families and social workers are engaged in while navigating varying levels of risk of domestic violence.