Lawyers Manual - Unified Court System

22
Advocating for Youth in
Domestic Violence Proceedings
by Stephanie Nilva and Kristine Herman
Advocating for young victims of domestic violence requires specific skills.
Young victims experience similar forms of power and control as adult
victims, but a number of complex issues unique to teens and young adults
further complicate their situations and create barriers to accessing safety. Young
people often are isolated from support systems, unaware that help is available to
them, and unable or reluctant to pursue assistance.
In most cases, young victims of domestic violence have limited access to
resources, and they usually reside with a guardian of some kind. Their
developmental stage, relative inexperience with intimate partners, and distrust of
authority also separate them from adult victims. The support from a young
person’s family and the structure of New York State’s legal system will shape
options available to your young clients. Together, these aspects of the youth
experience mean that advocating for youth experiencing relationship abuse is
particularly demanding.
Understanding your client’s experience as a teenager or young adult can be
difficult, but sympathizing with her experience will help build a trusting
relationship. Patiently exploring the legal options without alienating her through
condescending or “adultist” behavior will pay off. In many situations, your
client will be ineligible for, or unwilling to seek, all of the legal system’s
protections; in other cases, she will remain involved with the abuser or display
extraordinary levels of ambivalence; she may leave and return to him frequently.
In every one of these cases, safety planning is essential. 1