Family court needs to implement current research in all custody cases. Here is the most important research in order for family court professionals to be leaning on in order to provide safe orders for survivors and their children. It is vital as a parent going through family court to know this as well because you are your child's best advocate.

1. Confronting the Challenge of the High-Conflict Personality in Family Court
Santa Clara University’s School of Law published an article in Family Law Quarterly that examines a subset of cases in family law involving individuals whose propensity to seek, rather than avoid, conflict is met by an adversarial system that seems to facilitate ongoing conflict instead of working toward a resolution.
Link: https://www.npdandlaw.com/learn/ 

2. Saunder's Study: Child Custody Evaluators’ Beliefs About Domestic Abuse Allegations: Their Relationship to Evaluator Demographics, Background, Domestic Violence Knowledge and Custody- Visitation Recommendations
Link: https://nij.ojp.gov/library/publications/child-custody-evaluators-beliefs-about-domestic-abuse-allegations-their 

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to better understand the relation between family law statutes and professionals’ recommendations for child custody and visitation in intimate partner violence (IPV) cases. Samples consisted of 512 child custody evaluators and 200 judges from 46 states. Survey participants responded to a case vignette of serious intimate partner violence (IPV). In addition, evaluators indicated their history of actual recommendations in IPV cases. Eight child custody laws were related to the custody-visitation outcomes. Based on past research with judges, “friendly parent” laws were included, a standard for custody determination by which parents need to facilitate a good relationship between their children and the other parent. Only a small percentage of the many statistical relationships assessed were significant. When there were laws that exempted IPV cases from friendly parent standards, judges tended to favor victim-supportive outcomes, such as awarding sole custody to victims. These findings generally held when controlling for beliefs about IPV and custody, IPV knowledge acquisition, and background characteristics. In an analysis combining both samples, an overall outcome favoring the abuser was significantly higher in “friendly parent” states, even with the presence of laws presuming the abuser should not have custody. Implications are provided for policies, practice and future research.
Link: https://nij.ojp.gov/library/publications/state-laws-related-family-judges-and-custody-evaluators-recommendations-cases 

4. The Saunder's Study - https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/238891.pdf
What is "The Saunder's Study"? See more explanation here.

5. 2019 Meiers Study - https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3448062 

Abstract: Arguably the most troubling aspect of justice system response to intimate partner violence is custody courts' failure to protect children when mothers allege the father is abusive. Family courts' errors in assessing adult and child abuse, and punitive responses to abuse allegations, have been widely documented..... cont.

6. ACE (Adverse Childhood Experience) Study - STUDY COMPLETE - ACE Study - Adverse Childhood Experiences.pdf

Relationship of Childhood Abuse and Household Dysfunction to Many of the Leading Causes of Death in Adults: The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study

Conclusion: We found a strong graded relationship between the breadth of exposure to abuse or household dysfunction during childhood and multiple risk factors for several of the leading causes of death in adults.
Link: https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/about.html