Honors Program
Date of this Version
5-2024
Document Type
Thesis
Citation
Stephenson, J. (2024). Procedural Fairness and Parent Participation in Domestic Violence Dependency Cases. Undergraduate Honors Thesis. University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Abstract
The current study examined the relationship between parent perceptions of procedural fairness and their participation in rehabilitative plans for survivors and batterers of intimate partner violence (IPV) within a specialized dependency court. To do so, 114 adjudicated parents from 55 cases were asked to complete a survey regarding their perceptions of court processes and professionals; the rates of participation in court orders for each parent was recorded from review of court filings. A total of 34 valid survey responses were collected. A series of Pearson’s correlations found no relationship between procedural fairness score and rate of participation in court orders for survivors, batterers, mothers, fathers, or all parents, but this is likely resulting from a ceiling effect. Potential limitations are discussed. Despite the inconclusiveness of this study, existing literature provides wide support for a positive correlation between procedural fairness and parent participation in court orders within the legal system, and further research is needed to support the generalization of such a correlation within IPV-specific dependency courts.
Comments
Copyright Julia Stephenson 2024.