Malibu Highlights Domestic Violence Awareness In November

MALIBU, CA — Malibu designated November as Family Court Awareness Month at the Nov. 8 City Council meeeting to highlight the difficulties faced by victims of domestic abuse in the court system.

Family Court Awareness Month is an initiative started a year ago by One Mom's Battle, an organization created and run by Tina Swithin.

The city joined more than 200 other counties, cities and states in recognizing what Swithin called "post-separation abuse": the struggle victims of domestic violence face after a relationship has ended, which includes a judicial system that allows for further abuse and fails to put children first.

Mayor Paul Grisanti referenced multiple different studies that examined the family court system and the effect of "post-separation abuse" on children. Given the results of these studies, he said, the city must help promote a legal system that protects children above all.

"As a society we are educating, empowering and encouraging victims of domestic violence to leave and be brave and to escape those situations. But they're going into the family court system, and they're finding that it becomes a whole new avenue of abuse," Swithin told the City Council.

Swithin herself spent 10 years in the family court system fighting what she called a "high-conflict" custody battle that she ultimately won, according to the One Mom's Battle website.

Perpetrators of domestic violence often continue to commit violence and abuse, alienating children involved, undermining a victim's parenting, neglecting or abusing children, isolating a victim and harassing and stalking a victim, according to One Mom's Battle.

An abuser can manipulate the legal system to continue to harass and coerce a victim, especially using custody and finances as leverage, the organization said.

In California, Newport Beach, Chino Hills, Atascadero, Chico, West Hollywood, San Francisco, Buellton, Goleta, Irvine and Santa Clarita have all declared November Family Court Awareness Month.