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Mediation in the cases of domestic violence.
Domestic violence has been one of the many cases that are intervened by mediators. There has been quite an increase in the understanding of the need to meditate on cases such as domestic violence before litigating the matter to the court. It is a typical case that mediators have been dealing with. There might be times when the parties might not realize that their actions have been violent and they consider it to be a normal way of functioning in a relationship. They decide to not disclose such issues but it is the responsibility of the mediator to listen to both the parties closely, give importance to every minute issue spoken and ask the appropriate questions that would hit the bull's eye and can connect the dots. Mediators read between the lines and recognize the acts of domestic violence while dealing with such cases.
Dealing with the cases of domestic violence has never really been a cakewalk for the mediators. It is important to know that typically people understand domestic violence as an act of aggression or brutality or some sort of physical harm or some severe mental torture. It is not it. It also extends to the amount of inappropriate thread of communication between the parties. There are times when either of the parties might ignore the importance and worth of his/her partner or give silent treatments or use a condemning tone while communicating and give detested looks that might be overlooked and eventually stand insignificant. Even silence speaks and gestures like such isn't a sign of a healthy relationship. These behaviors are equally torturous as any other mental torture. Even if it is ignored by the parties, it should not be ignored by the mediators. These behaviors are also the foundation of a disturbed relationship and the job of the mediator is to look closely into the issues. The mediators analyze the real reasons behind the conflicts and make the parties aware of such behaviors so that they might consider working on them.
Mediation is an extremely safe process for dealing cases like domestic violence that involves majorly in the disputes of divorce and child abuse. It involves flexible and informal ways to deal with conflicting opinions. Such a process won't be entertained in the court and time-consuming court litigation can also disturb the child/children's mental health and disturb their life. Mediation helps the parties to focus on how they can work on themselves to save their relationship from falling apart. Mediation has helped a lot in dealing with the cases of domestic violence and people don’t have to worry about going through the expensive court litigation processes to file a divorce.
In cases of violence resulting from child custody or visitation issues, it is always advisable to visit a mediator first, set up a proper conference, and discuss the conflict to reach a fair point. It is always best to come under a mutual understanding instead of making an impulsive decision. Mediators who consult on cases of domestic violence are well researched on the topic of domestic violence; many are even retired domestic violence advocates. It is a very complex case that requires a proper understanding of emotions. It is important to understand the depth of relationships and be able to comprehend the intentions of parties and help the victims to pick the right and the safe decision.
- Domestic violence
- Conflict
- Understanding
