September, 2017
Mia Scally, Department of Psychology, Middlesex University, The Burroughs, Hendon, NW4 4BT
Child custody in the context of intimate partner violence and abuse
I am conducting a research study and looking for participants to take part. Before you make a decision as to whether or not you would like to take part, it is important that you read through this leaflet carefully and ensure you understand what the research involves and why it is being conducted. Participation is voluntary and if you do decide to take part, then you can withdraw from the study up to one month after completing the survey by emailing the researcher (via one of the email addresses at the bottom of this page).
What is the purpose of the study?
This study aims to explore the child custody process in relation to intimate partner violence and abuse1 (IPVA) in heterosexual relationships and will focus on instances of IPVA where the father has been abusive towards the mother. The aim of the study is to consider what professionals know and think about the custody process and how they make decisions regarding formal arrangements. As part of this research, a survey will be conducted with professionals who contribute to the custody process. This could be as a court advisor, a judge, a legal representative, a Cafcass officer, or within a support service.
What will happen?
If you decide you want to take part, you will be asked to complete an online survey. This should take approximately 30 minutes to complete. You will have the opportunity to leave any additional feedback or comments at the end of the survey. The survey will ask about your usual role in the child custody process, your thoughts on the process, training, what helps you make decisions when it comes to child custody and will include some questions on violence and abuse.
Before you take part in the survey, you will be asked to indicate your consent to participate by ticking a box. At the end of the survey, you will be asked again if you wish to submit your responses. Data will only be analysed when both the initial consent and final consent to submit have been granted. All responses provided as part of the survey will remain anonymous.
The submitted survey data will be used for analysis, including possible analysis in the future, and subsequent publication. You will not be identified in any of the research reports based on this research; any identifiable information that you provide will be anonymised prior to analysis.
Data will be kept securely in line with current Data Protection legislation and in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation, data will be destroyed once it is no longer needed for analysis.
What are the possible disadvantages and risks of taking part?
It is important to take your time when considering participating in this study. The interview will contain questions about violence and abuse, and therefore may cause some distress. The effects of taking part in this study might not be immediate and may occur sometime after taking part. If you decide you want to take part, you will be provided with details of support services at the end of the survey.
Contact details for the research team are provided below. Please email the researcher if you would like to take part in this study and have not been provided with a direct link to the survey. Even if you agree to take part, you can choose to withdraw from the study at any point prior to undertaking the survey, or by not submitting the data at the end of the survey and for up to one month after you have completed the survey (by citing a survey number that you will be asked to generate yourself).
Research team:
Researcher: Mia Scally (Email: m.scally@mdx.ac.uk, Telephone: 02084116143, Address: Department of Psychology, Middlesex University, Hendon, NW4 4BT).
Supervisors: Dr Miranda A H Horvath (Email: m.horvath@mdx.ac.uk, Telephone: 02084114532, Address: Department of Psychology, Middlesex University, Hendon, NW4 4BT) and Professor Joanna R Adler (j.adler@mdx.ac.uk)
All proposals for research conducted at Middlesex University, involving human participants are reviewed by an Ethics Committee before they can proceed. The Middlesex Psychology Department’s Ethics Committee have reviewed this proposal.
1Please note that the definition of intimate partner violence and abuse (IPVA) for the purposes of this study is any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (including physical, sexual, financial, psychological and/or emotional harm), between those aged 16 or over who are, or have been, intimate partners, regardless of gender or sexuality.