Punishing Abused Women: A Retrospective on a Ms. Magazine Blog

Abstract

This chapter explores the social problem of child protection in disputed custody cases, examining the plight of women facing biased courts favoring males in child custody decisions. I focus on cases disputed by fathers with histories of family violence and child abuse. The methodology used is unique both in terms of data and analyses. The data used are from reader commentary on the Ms. Magazine Blog article focusing on the punishment of abused women in family courts and child custody loss. I participated in the Ms. Magazine blog and there were 59 bloggers who responded. The analysis examines the discourses of responding bloggers using the Cultural Studies approach to reading and interpreting the “texts.” Findings are blog responses that point to mothers who have experienced a family court system that often ignores evidence of domestic violence when making child custody decisions. These blog responses provide a means to explore the tools used by family courts including Parental Alienation Syndrome and its derivatives, gag orders, use of inept experts, and an embrace of androcentric thinking, all supported by mainstream media’s ignoring these biased procedures. The Cultural Studies approach to reading and interpreting the “text” of the Ms. Magazine blog responses on the abuse of mothers and children by family courts provides a window into how Ms. Magazine readers view the issue of child custody and the involvement of bloggers in the custody battles.