The DOI matches its Crossref record; 27 of the 27 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
“Paper Abuse”: When All Else Fails, Batterers Use Procedural Stalking
Abstract
Using data from in-depth interviews with women who have exited violent relationships, attorneys, and practitioners/policy specialists, this research note explores the continuation of control as women encounter "paper abuse." The barrage of men's frivolous lawsuits, false reports of child abuse, and other system-related manipulations exerts power, forces contact, and financially burdens their ex-partners. Although these acts are not new, the significance of this continuing abuse has not been fully explored by researchers. Yet attorneys and practitioners recognize the need for better documentation to strengthen protections for women still forced to contend with their former batterers.
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In the citing paper
“This subset of legal post-separation coercive tactics includes what Miller and Smolter (2011) labelled “paper abuse” or “procedural stalking” in their qualitative study with ten women. These actions include making false reports to child welfare authorities, frivolous lawsuits, and strategies to extend court proceedings.”
From “He Tells People That I Am Going to Kill My Children”: Post-Separation Coercive Control in Men Who Perpetrate IPV (2024) · cites this paper as Miller & Smolter, 2011
In the citing paper
“In summary, although abuse with respect to custody issues after separation from an abusive partner has been widely studied, relatively little research has examined post-separation abuse beyond child custody, and these have mostly consisted of qualitative studies with relatively small sample sizes (i.e. Crossman et al., 2016; Krigel & Benjamin, 2021; Miller & Smolter, 2011; Rivera et al., 2018; Toe”
From “He Tells People That I Am Going to Kill My Children”: Post-Separation Coercive Control in Men Who Perpetrate IPV (2024) · cites this paper as Miller & Smolter, 2011
In the citing paper
“Abusive former partners are more likely to seek sole physical and legal custody than non-abusive former partners, and are often awarded custody even with documented, substantiated and criminal convictions of IPV against the mother (Bancroft et al., 2002; Meier, 2020; Miller & Smolter, 2011; Silberg & Dallam, 2019).”
From Post‐separation abuse: A concept analysis (2023) · cites this paper as Miller & Smolter, 2011
In the citing paper
“Post-separation abuse is designed to make the former partner feel powerless, and power and control is central to understanding violence towards an intimate partner (Godfrey & Robinson, 2014; Katz et al., 2020; Miller & Smolter, 2011; Stark & Hester, 2019).”
From Post‐separation abuse: A concept analysis (2023) · cites this paper as Miller & Smolter, 2011
In the citing paper
“Abusers manipulate systems to prevent formal help-seeking behaviours, exert power, force contact and financially burden survivors (Miller & Smolter, 2011).”
From Post‐separation abuse: A concept analysis (2023) · cites this paper as Miller & Smolter, 2011
In the citing paper
“Abusers can use aspects of the court process to humiliate and terrorize their former partners, often weaponizing their personal history (Miller & Smolter, 2011), including their mental and physical health.”
From Post‐separation abuse: A concept analysis (2023) · cites this paper as Miller & Smolter, 2011
In the citing paper
“This can include litigation strategies used in response to help-seeking behaviours, such as filing for custody in response to a survivor seeking a protection order or reporting violence to police (Miller & Smolter, 2011).”
From Post‐separation abuse: A concept analysis (2023) · cites this paper as Miller & Smolter, 2011
In the citing paper
“Economic deprivation can be caused by a batterer's use of court action to exhaust financial resources of their former partner, rendering them bankrupt and financially destitute (Crosse & Millar, 2017; Miller & Smolter, 2011; Toews & Bermea, 2017).”
From Post‐separation abuse: A concept analysis (2023) · cites this paper as Miller & Smolter, 2011
In the citing paper
“In addition to the cost of legal representation, legal abuse can impact economic well-being including increased childcare burdens, lost productivity and transportation difficulties (Gutowski & Goodman, 2020; Miller & Smolter, 2011).”
From Post‐separation abuse: A concept analysis (2023) · cites this paper as Miller & Smolter, 2011
In the citing paper
“One set of tactics serves to prolong legal cases (Douglas, 2018a; Miller & Smolter, 2011; Przekop, 2011; Watson & Ancis, 2013) -sometimes for multiple years – through actions such as charges of contempt and unfounded accusations, which can lead to extensive investigations (Watson & Ancis, 2013).”
From Coercive Control in the Courtroom: the Legal Abuse Scale (LAS) (2023) · cites this paper as Miller & Smolter, 2011
In the citing paper
“In one of the first papers on the subject of legal abuse, Miller and Smolter (2011) proposed the existence of “paper abuse,” defined as the use of “frivolous” legal motions that are an “extension of traditional [intimate partner abuse] tactics” (p. 647).”
From Coercive Control in the Courtroom: the Legal Abuse Scale (LAS) (2023) · cites this paper as Miller and Smolter (2011)
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Research works printed but not linked: 12
- Ackerman, M.J., 1996, Family Law Quarterly, 30, 565
- Baum, K., 2009, Stalking victimization in the United States
- D.C. Coalition, 2007, DC court watch: Fiscal year 2006 report
- Delaware Coalition Against, 2008, Preliminary Report on Court Watch Project
- Finn, P., 1990, Civil protection orders: Legislation, current court practice, and enforcement (Issues and practice report)
- Gelb, A., 1994, Quincy court model domestic abuse program manual
- Harrell, A. & Smith, B.E. ( 1996). Effects of restraining orders on domestic violence victims . In E. S. Buzawa & C. G. Buzawa (Eds.), Do arrests and restraining orders work? (pp. 214-242). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
- Klein, A.R. ( 1996). Re-abuse in a population of court-restrained male batterers: Why restraining orders don’t work. In E. S. Buzawa & C. G. Buzawa (Eds.), Do arrests and restraining orders work? (pp. 192-213). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
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КРИВДНИК ЯК СУБ’ЄКТ СІМЕЙНИХ ТА ЦИВІЛЬНИХ ПРОЦЕСУАЛЬНИХ ПРАВОВІДНОСИН У ДОКТРИНІ COERCIVE CONTROL
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Metadata
- Authors
- Miller, S. L., & Smolter, N. L.
- Affiliations
- University of Delaware (US)
- Corresponding author
- Miller, Susan L.
- ORCID
- Miller, Susan L.
- Venue
- Violence Against Women
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2011-04-28
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 637-650
- ISSN
- 1077-8012 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-8448
- OpenAlex
- W2137659667
- Cited by
- 151
- References
- 27
- Citations by year
- 2026: 24 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 29 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 3.61
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Violence Against Women (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Health › Intimate Partner and Family Violence
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Stalking, Cyberstalking, and Harassment
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Geriatrics and Gerontology › Elder Abuse and Neglect
- Keywords
- stalking, intimate partner violence, batterers, women leaving abusive relationships, frivolous lawsuits
- MeSH terms
- Aggression, Criminal Law, Female, Humans, Interviews as Topic, Male, Power, Psychological, Spouse Abuse, United States, Stalking, Criminals
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