While mediation is commonly used in custody negotiation, there is no consensus regarding its
applicability in domestic violence cases. The aim of this qualitative study in Italy was to explore the
role of family mediation in the management of child custody in cases involving domestic violence.
Semistructured interviews were conducted with lawyers (N 1⁄4 5), social workers (N 1⁄4 15), and
abused women who had separated from their children’s fathers (N 1⁄4 13). Legal documents were
also analyzed. The results showed that violence against women and children had often been concealed
during mediation, as the professionals involved had failed to detect domestic violence or had
labeled it as conflicts. Moreover, the “parental couple” had been dissociated from the “marital
couple,” and the responsibility for the abuse had been attributed to both parents. As a result, women
and children had been blamed and had experienced secondary victimization, while the perpetrators’
patterns of power and control had continued. The results also revealed that those professionals had
not known about and had not applied the Istanbul Convention, which provides guidelines to ensure
women’s and children’s safety. Recommendations highlight the need to account for the complexity
of domestic violence cases, to hold perpetrators responsible for the abuse, and to support the
victims.
