Shared Parenting After Abuse

This chapter describes an initial effort to investigate African-American women's perceptions of shared parenting with men who have battered them in the past. It addresses the question: What types of shared parenting expectations do battered women have in reference to men with whom they have a history of violence? The larger goal of this study was to seek women's perspectives on the decision-making processes involved in shared parenting with men with whom they have a history of domestic violence. It also includes the results of focus groups with violent fathers about their desires for involvement with their children.