New Developments in Interpersonal Violence and Coercive Control: Emerging Research, Family-Focused Assessment, and Ethical Practice

Reneaue Kennedy, Ed.D, and Trina Yamada, Esq., LCSW, led this continuing education workshop focused on interpersonal violence, coercive control, and high-conflict family systems within court-involved settings. Designed for psychologists, therapists, parenting plan evaluators, and child welfare professionals, the training provided an evidence-based examination of how domestic violence dynamics intersect with assessment, treatment planning, child welfare decision-making, and family law proceedings.
The workshop explored emerging research on coercive control, post-separation abuse, lethality risk indicators, technology-facilitated coercion, and children’s lived experiences of chronic interpersonal threat. Participants also reviewed evolving national standards surrounding parenting plan evaluations, including guidance from the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC), and discussed the growing emphasis on domestic violence-informed competency within clinical and legal practice.
Ethical decision-making remained central throughout the training, with discussion focused on APA ethical standards related to competence, avoiding harm, professional boundaries, and assessment practices within complex family systems. Practical application included strategies for risk assessment, documentation, intervention planning, safety planning, forensic role clarity, and developmentally informed recommendations across therapeutic, child welfare, and court-related contexts.

For my information about our presenters, visit the links below.