Domestic violence affects men, women and children alike. The information below may be helpful in learning how you can help.

Domestic Violence 911
Provides links to resources regarding domestic violence by and against men and what you can do.

Massachusetts Law Protecting Against Domestic Violence
The Massachusetts Bar Association provides an explanation of Massachusetts law protecting against domestic violence.

Prevent Child Abuse
A wealth of information on how you and others can prevent child abuse.

• The National Center for State Courts reported that between 1993 and 1995, 18 of 32 states with three year filing figures reported an increase in domestic violence cases of 20 percent or more.
  
  

Some of the following research reports and articles are accessible via the Internet. Others are not accessible on the web as they require a password, such as those law review articles found on Lexis Nexis and Westlaw. Articles may be found in your local library or law library.

Belzer, Lydia. Domestic Abuse and Divorce Mediation: Suggestions for a Safer Process. 5 Loy. J. Pub. Int. L. 37, 40
This article explores domestic violence as well as the positive aspects and the general skepticism of mediation as an alternative to divorce.

Paquette, Catherine. Handling Sexual Abuse Allegations in Child Custody Cases. 25 New Eng.L. Rev. 1415, 1416
The New England Law Review article explores the then 200 percent surge in child abuse reports and its overlap with similarly soaring divorce rates.
New England Law Review

Massachusetts Case Law

Care and Protection of Lillith, 807 N.E. 2d 237 (Mass. App. Ct. 2004) (HTML format)
Case in which the mother alleged abuse on the part of the father, whose parental fitness was thus contested.

Custody of Vaughn, 664 N.E. 2d 434 (Mass. 1996)(MS Word format)
The alleged abuse of a child which was to be considered by the court in determining whether the father would have custody.

Case Law from other Jurisdictions

Cox v. Cox, 613 N.W. 2d 516 (N.D. 2000)
(MS Word format)

Case in which the mother failed to show sufficient evidence of the father's alleged domestic abuse so as to prevent the statutory presumption against awarding custody to the father.