The Nurtured Parent Revolution: Trauma Transformed | Patrice Lenowitz | TEDxBergenCommunityCollege

Family courts across the nation routinely fail the most vulnerable in our society; mothers and their children in crisis seeking a life free from abuse. In 2012, the U.S. Department of Justice released a study (Saunders Report) that found the standard and required domestic violence training received by judges, lawyers, and custody evaluators, does not adequately prepare them to handle abuse cases. Inadequately trained professionals tend to believe the myth that mothers frequently make false allegations. However, most contested custody cases are domestic violence or child sexual abuse cases in which abusers have been allowed to use the courts to regain control over the victim, and bankrupt the safe, primary caregiving protective mother. Per the United Nations Attorney General, the most common form of violence experienced by women is physical violence inflicted by an intimate partner.

Patrice is a domestic violence survivor, victims’ rights advocate, activist, public speaker and playwright. Of paramount importance to her work is advocating for victims' rights, and to unravel why our courts routinely fail the most vulnerable in our society, women and children in crisis seeking a life free from abuse. Her passion and leadership have led to new child protection legislation in New Jersey, and it is built upon the premise that the rights, safety, health and wellbeing of our nation’s women and children must become our top priority in law and society.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx