Time:
11/07/2019 - 10:35 to 11/07/2019 - 12:05
Room:
302e
Global Experiences regarding Children: Child Contact and Protection from DV （全球兒童經驗：兒童接觸與家暴防治）
Type:
Proposal(Workshop / Presentation)
Coordinating organization:
Osaka Institute of Technology (as an Individual Academic Researcher)
Theme:
Policy and Legislation
Language:
English
Organization Name:
Osaka Institute of Technology (as an Individual Academic Researcher) （大阪工業大學 (作為獨立學術研究員)）
Describe your workshop/presentation (300-500 words):
This workshop aims to reexamine the child contact by abusive fathers after DV protection for the safety of DV survivor’s families and children’s best interests.
Along with an increased divorce rate and arguing child maintenance, there have been more problems around the child contact. Some fathers’ groups have been actively lobbying for the enforcement of child contact, claiming that “children need fathers”. As a result, the related legislations and case laws have developed the enforcing framework for the child contact, including court warning, compensation as indirect enforcement, criminal punishment and supervised contact service. The court tends to set and enforce a child contact to a resident parent, mostly a mother, under the assumption that continuous relationships with a separated parent, mostly a father, contribute to the welfare of the child. For instance, in Japan, the family court probation officers strongly suggest a child contact in divorce mediations before bringing the case to the court. Then, the court tends to order a child contact to the resident parent even in a DV case with a protection order for the mother. Because, the mother is obliged to prove the concrete risk and harm that might be caused to the child. That is to say, the safety measure for the mothers and their children has been largely ignored. As the organizer of this workshop, I have examined the child contact system in Japan, the UK, Virginia of the US, Taiwan and South Korea using comparative approach, while conducting fieldworks in Japan, the UK. My research showed that not only a contact by the abusive father but also the very legal procedure for setting a child contact produced negative outcomes for DV survivor’s families.
At this workshop, a wide range of speakers with various backgrounds -lawyers, academic researchers, activists, and organizations for DV victims- to share experiences and expertise. Our planned speakers include:
・Prof. Kyoko Takada (Expert of Family Law and Children's Law, Japan), "Global challenge with Child Contact for eliminating the risk of DV and Child Abuse"
・Ms. Elizabeth Coe (CEO of National Association of Child Contact Centre, the UK), "Family Contact - keeping children safe"
・Ms. Fran Gau (Independent consultant to NGOs and government agencies, Taiwan), "Best Interests of the Child: Facilitating Supervised Visitation with High-Conflict Families in Taiwan"
・Hokkaido Shelter Networking (Japan), "Problems of Child Contact system in Japan from the view of supporting DV survivors"
Each speaker will report her country’s situation and experience to discuss children’s welfare and needs in the DV case.
Along with an increased divorce rate and arguing child maintenance, there have been more problems around the child contact. Some fathers’ groups have been actively lobbying for the enforcement of child contact, claiming that “children need fathers”. As a result, the related legislations and case laws have developed the enforcing framework for the child contact, including court warning, compensation as indirect enforcement, criminal punishment and supervised contact service. The court tends to set and enforce a child contact to a resident parent, mostly a mother, under the assumption that continuous relationships with a separated parent, mostly a father, contribute to the welfare of the child. For instance, in Japan, the family court probation officers strongly suggest a child contact in divorce mediations before bringing the case to the court. Then, the court tends to order a child contact to the resident parent even in a DV case with a protection order for the mother. Because, the mother is obliged to prove the concrete risk and harm that might be caused to the child. That is to say, the safety measure for the mothers and their children has been largely ignored. As the organizer of this workshop, I have examined the child contact system in Japan, the UK, Virginia of the US, Taiwan and South Korea using comparative approach, while conducting fieldworks in Japan, the UK. My research showed that not only a contact by the abusive father but also the very legal procedure for setting a child contact produced negative outcomes for DV survivor’s families.
At this workshop, a wide range of speakers with various backgrounds -lawyers, academic researchers, activists, and organizations for DV victims- to share experiences and expertise. Our planned speakers include:
・Prof. Kyoko Takada (Expert of Family Law and Children's Law, Japan), "Global challenge with Child Contact for eliminating the risk of DV and Child Abuse"
・Ms. Elizabeth Coe (CEO of National Association of Child Contact Centre, the UK), "Family Contact - keeping children safe"
・Ms. Fran Gau (Independent consultant to NGOs and government agencies, Taiwan), "Best Interests of the Child: Facilitating Supervised Visitation with High-Conflict Families in Taiwan"
・Hokkaido Shelter Networking (Japan), "Problems of Child Contact system in Japan from the view of supporting DV survivors"
Each speaker will report her country’s situation and experience to discuss children’s welfare and needs in the DV case.
All Speakers:
Name:
Kyoko Takada
Biography:
Kyoko Takada is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Intellectual Property, the Osaka Institute of Technology, where she has taught since 2009. She teaches and writes in the area of Family Law, Gender and Law and Intellectual Property Law. Her latest research topics include child contact and Co-parenting under family violence risk, comparative study on public policy of domestic violence against women and children, and changing family norms. She is a planning member for establishing the Association of Child Contact Support Japan (ACCSJ), in cooperation with National Association of Child Contact Centre, the UK.
Name:
Elizabeth Coe
Biography:
Elizabeth gained her Social Work degree from Bristol University in 1978, joining the Avon Probation Service as a Probation Officer before becoming a Family Court Welfare Officer in 1982. In 1988 she moved to Derbyshire Probation Service to become a Senior Probation Officer and then a Senior Court Welfare Officer. She has also worked as a Guardian ad Litem and served for 6 years on the Derbyshire Adoption and Fostering Panel. In 2001 when the Family Court Welfare Service, Official Solicitor and the Guardian Service came together as Cafcass Elizabeth transferred from the Probation Service and became a Regional Director for the East Midlands Region, and also Director for London between 2006-07. On leaving Cafcass in 2011 she joined the National Association of Child Contact Centres as their Chief Executive. Elizabeth enjoys playing the piano, singing, travel and my lovely dog Poppy who gives me hours of pleasure.
Name:
Fran Gau
Biography:
Fran Gau is an independent consultant to NGOs and government agencies specializing in program development and building organizational capacity for advocacy and services for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking.
Fran has over 30 years of experience in direct services and NGO management in the U.S. and Asia. She served as the Executive Director of the Taipei Women’s Rescue Foundation where she formed the Anti-Trafficking Alliance and successfully pushed for the passage of Taiwan’s 2009 Anti-Trafficking Law. In the U.S., she served in various leadership positions at the New York Asian Women’s Center, the largest service provider for Asian women in NYC, and oversaw client services for victims of domestic violence and their children.
Fran has a Master of Social Work from Michigan State University and is a Licensed Master Social Worker in New York.
Fran has over 30 years of experience in direct services and NGO management in the U.S. and Asia. She served as the Executive Director of the Taipei Women’s Rescue Foundation where she formed the Anti-Trafficking Alliance and successfully pushed for the passage of Taiwan’s 2009 Anti-Trafficking Law. In the U.S., she served in various leadership positions at the New York Asian Women’s Center, the largest service provider for Asian women in NYC, and oversaw client services for victims of domestic violence and their children.
Fran has a Master of Social Work from Michigan State University and is a Licensed Master Social Worker in New York.
Name:
Yayoi Suzuki
Biography:
Yayoi Suzuki, who represents the Hokkaido Shelter Network for this workshop, is a founding member of the Women’s’ Support Yui, an emergency shelter for DV victims where she handles more than 30 cases per year in cooperation with the local government of Tomakomai city. In addition to the protection of DV victims, she has been involved in a wide range of activities for the survivors such as consultation, escorting, independent support after leaving a shelter, providing mental healthcare programs. Committed to community-based support for DV survivors, she works for educational activities, giving date DV prevention seminars for junior high schools, high schools and vocational schools. She has been the Chief Executive of the Women’s Support Yui since 2015, and a member of the council for gender equality in Tomakomai city.