Historically research hasn’t always involved or benefited the population being studied. Dr. Elizabeth Dalgarno, the Director, and Founder of the SHERA Research Group is staunch advocate of research that is undertaken by and with the people it concerns rather than “on” them. In this far-ranging interview, Ruth, David, and Dr Dalgarno discuss:  

•  SHERA’s research into health effects on survivors of their family court involvement in Brazil and England (Spoiler Alert: The negative health effects of family court involvement for domestic abuse survivors is significant!) 
• What practitioners can do differently within the current context of family law environment to improve outcomes for child and adult survivors
• How to use research to help improve the social care and family court response to domestic abuse
• The need for greater accountability and transparency as it relates to systems that impact survivors 
• The need for appropriate credentialing, training, and experience for evaluators in the family court context
• The need for adequate data on the impacts of family law policies & practices on victim survivors.
• The global need for domestic violence-informed training for lawyers, children’s representatives, and judges around family violence, custody, and access 

The SHERA Research Group, a collective of multidisciplinary professionals with over 100 years cumulative experience of working in health inequalities, law, finance, social care and domestic abuse research and support organizations. 

Dr Elizabeth Dalgarno, the Director and Founder of SHERA Research Group and a Lecturer at University of Manchester England.Dr. Dalgarno has worked in public and private health and social care for over 20 years and specialises in challenging inequalities and systemic challenges in health and social care. Her work with women who have been through family court focusses on their health-related experiences and the harmful pseudoscience of so-called 'parental alienation' and has been featured in a documentary 'Mums on the Run' on the BBC iplayer, at the UN Human Rights Council and in multiple media outlets.

Related Podcasts 

Season 4 Episode 10: Ensuring The Voice Of The Child Is Heard, And Child’s Best Interests Are Considered In Domestic Abuse Cases

 Season 3 Episode 2: Perpetrators’ Weaponization Of Mental Health And Addiction Against Survivors

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