The principle of non-indifference: the assessment of parenting in cases of intimate partner violence

Abstract

The themes of witnessed violence, gender-based violence, and intra-family violence have raised new questions in recent years within the fields and sectors involving the work of forensic psychologists and psychiatrists. Starting from the principle of non-indifference, this contribution aims to investigate the role that the narrative of violence should play within a Technical Consultancy Office in civil matters, and how the CTU (Technical Consultant) is called to ensure listening, attention, and the assignment of value to the experiences of those directly involved in the situation. This is to avoid the trap of secondary victimization, which would impose an additional traumatic experience on those being examined, an experience that could certainly have been avoided. Considering the experiences of violence victims is also essential during the analysis and evaluation of parenting capacities, as parenting style and personality style tend to be mutually connected. For this reason, the actions of an individual (especially if violent) inevitably provide clues about their ability to relate to others, whether it is an ex-spouse or a child. Anyone who has to express an opinion on parental suitability or the custody or placement of minors cannot, therefore, avoid acknowledging the existence of a family violence issue if it is reported. This is a core topic that should not be neglected or underestimated but should be investigated. In the case of criminal expertise, for example on the suitability to testify of minors who are witnesses or victims of intra-family violence, the complete modification of the expert setting in relation to the type of question posed, the centrality of the theme of violence, and the role of the expert make it less likely, but not impossible, for the same omissions that have frequently characterized the civil consultancy setting to occur.