The minute you say “post-separation domestic violence,” you see everyone turn away. No one listens to you anymore. Because that can't be true. That kind of thing doesn't exist. It's parental alienation or bad intentions. But it's not post-separation domestic violence. And that's upsetting.

This is a unique international partnership that brings together academic researchers and community organizations from different countries, including Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, New Zealand, Spain, the United States of America, and the United Kingdom. This project is based on concerns that have been raised by community organizations working with women and children who have experienced domestic violence. It is also based on research evidence that shows that women who have experienced domestic violence can be seen as “engaging in parental alienation”, especially when they are trying to protect their children (Birchall and Choudhry, 2022; Lapierre et al. 2024, Sheehy and Boyd, 2020). This phenomenon exists in many countries, with significant consequences for women and children. 

This International partnership facilitates the collection of comparable data across multiple countries and supports knowledge mobilization at both national and international levels. It also identifies various strategies that have been used to challenge “parental alienation” discourses and practices or to counteract claims made against women who have experienced domestic violence.