Family Court Harm and Institutional Betrayal with Dr. Elizabeth Dalgarno

About this episode

This episode discusses the harms caused by family court systems and the institutional abuse experienced by women and children.

Description In this episode of Perfect Prey , I’m joined by Dr. Elizabeth Dalgarno , founder and director of the SHERA Research Group and lecturer in public health at the University of Manchester. Dr. Dalgarno’s work focuses on the global harms caused by family court systems and the institutional abuse experienced by women and children navigating these legal processes. Through SHERA’s groundbreaking research, Dr. Dalgarno and her international team have documented how family court engagement can produce profound health consequences for protective parents and children. Their studies reveal a disturbing pattern: when abuse is reported, mothers are frequently accused of “parental alienation,” their credibility is questioned, and the legal system often becomes an extension of the abuse rather than a source of protection. Together, we explore how coercive control continues after separation, how courts can become tools of post-separation abuse, and why the health impacts of family court trauma are still largely ignored by institutions responsible for protecting families. What we cover The mission and global research of the SHERA Research Group How family court systems create…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Christine Marie Cocchiola

Guest: Dr. Elizabeth Dalgarno

Topics covered

• family court systems
• institutional betrayal
• health consequences
• coercive control
• parental alienation
• abuse disclosure

Keywords

• family court
• institutional abuse
• protective parents
• health impacts
• coercive control
• parental alienation
• trauma

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: SHERA Research Group, University of Manchester

More episodes of Perfect Prey: A Coercive Control Podcast

• The Hidden Impact of Trauma Across a Lifetime with Dr. Ann Burgess · June 5, 2026 · 36 min
• Why Traumatized Children Are Often Misunderstood · May 22, 2026 · 26 min
• Why Survivors Must Be Heard to Heal with Dr. Judith Lewis Herman · May 8, 2026 · 47 min
• Greyson’s Choice: Ali Kessler’s Mission to Protect Children · April 24, 2026 · 35 min
• Children Are Not Witnesses: The Truth About Coercive Control with Emma Katz · April 10, 2026 · 43 min
• Jane Doe No More: Story of Survival and Accountability with Donna Palomba · March 27, 2026 · 37 min