From the Judicial Department Domestic Violence Guidebook: A Guide for Juvenile Court Professionals:

“Many families involved with the Court struggle with a complex mixture of issues such as substance abuse by one or both parents, mental health diagnoses for one or more family

members, trauma histories, child behavioral or educational issues, housing issues, lack of access to resources, and attenuated support systems, to name a few. Domestic violence perpetrators’ behaviors intersect with many of these issues in various and multifaceted ways. For a better understanding of the significance domestic violence perpetrators can play in issues important to the Court . . . “

(Guidebook attached)