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Case study

Introduction to the Johnson/Smith family case study

Throughout our modules we will be using as an example a fictional family who have been involved in a domestically abusive relationship and their subsequent involvement in court proceedings.

Click on each image below to reveal the details of the family members:

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In our case study, Jazmin has been in a relationship with Steve. She has alleged there was a history of domestic abuse and that she was controlled by her partner to the extent that it affected her mental health. Eventually, following an incident of physical violence she escaped the relationship and moved into emergency accommodation with her two children.

She says:

“At first Steve and I got on really well. He was always very generous and complimentary. After I became pregnant, his behaviour towards me changed. He started to get really jealous of me and my friends. He would behave badly if they came around and eventually they stopped coming over. I was so tired looking after our baby and making sure Steve got what he wanted that I didn’t have time to myself anymore.

One day, I was late back from a doctor’s appointment. He went mad at me, saying I was having an affair. He smashed the place up and punched me in the face. I was holding our daughter at the time and Jaden was in the house, hiding in his bedroom. A neighbour called the police and they came and took him away. I was scared that when he got home he would do something worse, so whilst he was out of the house I managed to get away and get a room in a women’s refuge.

I have heard that he is trying to find where I am staying and wants to take the children from me. I am really scared.”

Steve was arrested following the final incident and is currently on police bail whilst investigations continue. He denies being violent or controlling and says that the injury to Jazmin was caused by a dispute Jazmin had with her drug dealer. He alleges that Jazmin takes drugs and was often incapable of looking after the children due to her drug misuse. He has not had contact with Chloe since the couple separated and he wants Chloe to stay over at his house when he is not working.

Acknowledgements

Grateful acknowledgement is made to the following sources:

Every effort has been made to contact copyright holders. If any have been inadvertently overlooked the publishers will be pleased to make the necessary arrangements at the first opportunity.

Important: *** against any of the acknowledgements below means that the wording has been dictated by the rights holder/publisher, and cannot be changed.

The Johnson/Smith family:

266470: Jazmin (top left): tommaso79 / iStock / Getty Images Plus

266472: Steve (top right): tommaso79 / iStock / Getty Images Plus

266477: Jaden (bottom left): Ridofranz / iStock / Getty Images Plus

266476: Chloe (bottom right): JBryson / iStock / Getty Images Plus