Fractured Families, Fragile Children - The Sexual Vulnerability of Girls in the Aftermath of Divorce

Abstract

Overwhelming empirical evidence suggests that a female child faces a significantly elevated risk of being sexually abused after her parents divorce, at the hands of a parent, a parent's partner, or someone outside the home. This article considers whether the law can effectively mitigate this risk of child sexual abuse in divorce proceedings by educating parents about the risk, or by directing the parent with whom the child resides to take precautions against molestation.

Keywords: child law, family law, sexual vulnerability, divorce, abuse