Missouri took an important step forward with SB 218 to make courts more accessible — now it’s time to ensure they are informed by modern behavioral science. We’re calling for legislation requiring all family court judges, guardians ad litem, and custody evaluators to receive specialized training on coercive control, psychological abuse, DARVO tactics, and the long-term effects of manipulation — so survivors and children are truly protected.

Across Missouri and the United States, families impacted by emotional and psychological abuse face serious barriers to justice. While physical violence is easier to see, patterns of coercive control, narcissistic abuse, and DARVO tactics (Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender) often go unrecognized in civil courtrooms — despite being just as dangerous and lasting in impact.

Judges, guardians ad litem (GALs), and custody evaluators make life-altering decisions about where children live, who they see, and whether a survivor will ever feel safe again. Yet Missouri law does not currently require specialized training on the behavioral dynamics of abuse or the psychological effects it leaves behind.

Although Missouri family court judges and commissioners must complete six hours of family law continuing education each year, there is no requirement that this training include coercive control, psychological abuse, or trauma behavior recognition. Guardians ad litem complete an 8-hour initial training (with a brief section on domestic violence) and 3 hours of annual updates, but again — there is no statewide mandate that they study coercive control, post-separation abuse, or DARVO tactics. Custody evaluators, who often shape court outcomes, operate without any standardized state training at all.

Compare this to other professions: Teachers, healthcare workers, law enforcement officers, and social workers are all required by law to complete training on recognizing abuse and responding safely. These professionals are taught how to identify red flags, document patterns, and protect those in danger. Yet in the courtroom — the final battleground for survivors — those same standards of awareness do not apply. Judges and court-appointed professionals hold the power to determine a child’s safety and a survivor’s future, but many have never been trained to recognize psychological manipulation or the behavioral signs of prolonged control.

Missouri’s passage of Senate Bill 218, which established a mental health treatment court and expanded interpreter access, was an important step toward a fairer justice system. But SB 218 did not address one of the most critical gaps in family law: the lack of education around non-physical forms of abuse that deeply affect both adults and children.

Other states are already moving forward:

1. California requires all custody evaluators to complete 16 hours of domestic violence and coercive control training, including annual updates.
2. New York now mandates 24 hours of training for all custody evaluators — including modules on coercive control, post-separation abuse, and trauma behavior in children — before they can even serve in family court.
3. Illinois has proposed statewide legislation that would require all judges to complete domestic violence and coercive control training every two years, covering the latest research in behavioral and psychological abuse.

Meanwhile, Missouri lags behind — with no mandate at all.

There are already proven national programs that could be integrated immediately:

• The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) runs a Judicial Institute on Domestic Violence that trains judges to recognize power-and-control dynamics and trauma responses.
• The National Family Violence Law Center (NFVLC) offers a course called “Considering Coercive Control in Custody Litigation,” teaching judges and evaluators how to identify manipulation and legal abuse in real cases.
• The Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma (IVAT) provides a 30-hour certification for court professionals on handling abuse allegations and understanding psychological control.
• The Safe & Together Institute, already used by New York and Connecticut courts, trains professionals to assess the perpetrator’s pattern of control and keep children safe and connected with the non-abusive parent.

Missouri’s judiciary and legislature could partner with these nationally recognized organizations to implement mandatory, recurring education for family court professionals. The resources exist — what’s missing is the commitment.

Why This Matters
Leaving an abuser isn’t a simple act. It’s a process of unlearning control, fear, and self-doubt. Years of psychological manipulation alter a person’s ability to think clearly or present calmly. Children raised in these environments learn confusion, fear, and instability as “normal.” When the courtroom then fails to recognize those patterns, it reinforces the very control survivors fought to escape, keeping the cycle of abuse continuing over generations.

Every time a judge or evaluator mistakes visible distress for instability — or composure for honesty — the system gets it wrong. And when that happens, the cost is enormous: parents lose custody of their children, children are placed in unsafe homes, and the cycle of generational abuse continues.

But with proper training, this can change.

Every informed courtroom decision has a ripple effect. It can protect a child from years of fear. It can restore a parent’s dignity. It can stop generational cycles of harm and replace them with understanding and safety.

This is not about victims — it’s about competence, accountability, and prevention.

Call to Action
We urge the Missouri General Assembly to build upon the progress of SB 18 and introduce legislation requiring mandatory, recurring education for all family court judges, guardians ad litem, and custody evaluators on:

• Coercive control and narcissistic abuse
• DARVO tactics and legal abuse
• Recognition of psychological manipulation and fear-based behavior
• Understanding the long-term impact of control on children and families

This training must be standardized, recurring, and verified — not optional or superficial.

Missouri’s families deserve a court system that recognizes all forms of abuse — not just the ones that leave bruises.

#protectmofamilies 

Endnotes & Resources

United Kingdom

• Serious Crime Act 2015, Section 76 – Established controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate or family relationship as a criminal offence.
• UK Home Office Statutory Guidance (2023) – Framework for identifying and prosecuting non-physical abuse.
• Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) – Explains evidence standards and victim protections under the law.
• Scotland – Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 – First comprehensive coercive-control law globally.
• New South Wales – Crimes Legislation Amendment (Coercive Control) Act 2022 – Makes coercive control a criminal offence (effective 1 July 2024).

Ireland

•  Ireland – Domestic Violence Act 2018, Section 39 – Criminalises coercive control nationwide.

Australia

• Queensland – Coercive Control & Affirmative Consent Bill 2023 – Law takes effect 2025.
• Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) – National overview of coercive-control reforms.

Missouri & United States Context

• Missouri Bar – Guardian ad Litem Requirements – 8-hour initial + 3-hour annual education requirement (DV topics optional).
• Missouri Supreme Court Rule 15 – Requires 6 annual hours for family-law judges; no coercive-control content required.
• Missouri POWER Act CLE (2021) – Optional training covering coercive control and abuse tactics.

National Training & Reform Programs

• National Council of Juvenile & Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) – Judicial institute providing coercive-control and trauma-informed training for judges.
• National Family Violence Law Center (NFVLC) – “Considering Coercive Control in Custody Litigation” course for judges and evaluators.
• Institute on Violence, Abuse & Trauma (IVAT) – 30-hour certification program for family-court professionals on abuse evaluation.
• Safe & Together Institute – Internationally recognized domestic-violence-informed training for courts and agencies.

Research & Statistics
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) – 43 % of women and 32 % of men in the U.S. experience psychological aggression by an intimate partner.
Journal of Interpersonal Violence (2019) – Emotional abuse linked to nearly double the rates of depression and PTSD-like symptoms compared to physical abuse.

These sources demonstrate the global recognition of coercive control as a serious form of abuse — and the growing movement to train courts to identify and respond to it with the same gravity as physical violence. Let's Save MO Families.