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Child contact and domestic abuse

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Child contact and domestic abuse

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  • Camden Safety Net is Camden’s domestic abuse service. Contact the Camden Safety Net duty worker on 020 7974 2526, or email [email protected]. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
  • If it is not safe for you to stay in Camden, you can approach any council for support.

Child contact and domestic abuse

We know that many abusive partners, ex-partners and family members will often use children and child contact as a way to further abuse and control victims or survivors. 

Some of the ways they may do this is by:

  • Trying to turn your children against you 
  • Making them relay hurtful messages to the non-abusive parent or care giver
  • Being abusive towards you when they pick the children up or drops them off
  • Trying to find out information about the non-abusive parent or care giver for example the safe address where they have recently moved to, who they are in contact with, who they might be in an intimate relationship with 
  • Sending you messages supposedly about the children but which cause you anxiety
  • Make threats to harm your children or take them away 
  • Not returning your children from a child contact visit as previously agreed or changing when they will see the children at short notice (bringing them back early, picking them up late and not letting you know why or answering your calls or texts to find out where they are, not taking them at all)
  • Blocking contact altogether or breaching contact orders
  • Not paying you maintenance when they agreed
  • Trying to block you from doing things like going on holiday or taking the children somewhere nice

How we can help

Camden Safety Net can discuss safety planning with you around these different types of child contact situations and look at any practical support that may also help. It may be beneficial to seek legal advice around child contact difficulties as Camden Safety Net is unable to provide legal advice. 

You may not be able to agree contact and may have to go through the family courts to get something agreed legally by the judge. 

Advice and support services

These services can provide advice and support if you need to navigate the family courts system: