b01asm5 cch dviolence

7/25/2019 b01asm5 CCH DViolence

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Domestic Violence and Children:Changing Policy, Changing Practice.

Dr. Sue Peckover,

University of Sheffield.


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Domestic Violence.

.... any violence beteen current orformer !artners in an intimate

relationshi!, herever and heneverthe violence occurs. "he violence mayinclude !hysical, se#ual, emotional orfinancial abuse$

(Department of Health 2000, p. 8).


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The Extent of Domestic Violence.

% in & omen have e#!erienced domesticviolence at some time in their lives.

% in ' omen have e#!erienced !hysicalviolence during the !ast %( months.

( omen are killed each eek by their!artners or e#)!artners.


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Domestic Violence and Children

*n +thebruary (--- /0 census:

1 (-&2 omen and (3&2 children living in

omen$s /id refuges in 0ngland.

0stimated that at least &(,--- children are

accommodated in U4 refuges each year5/0 %''36.


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Domestic Violence and Children.Domestic Violence and Children.

Domestic Violence and Pregnancy.

itnessing or *verhearing Domestic

Violence.

Child /buse.

/ Damaging 0nvironment for

Children.


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Witnessing or Overhearing Domestic

Violence.

8C9 Survey 5/brahams %''&6 com!leted by %-+omen

1 + mothers believed their children had become aare of the

violence they ere e#!eriencing. *f these,

1 3;< re!orted that their children itnessed the violence,1 (< overheard one or more attacks,

1 2(< sa in=uries arising from domestic abuse,

1 ''< said their children had seen them crying and u!set

because of the violence.

1 "his study also found that % in %- mothers had been se#ually

abused in front of their children.


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Domestic Violence and Child Abuse.

>oker et al %'++.

a volunteer sam!le of ?battered omen@

3- < 52&; omen6 of the 332 mothers re!orted thatthe ife beater had also abused their children.

1 &%< sla!!ed their children.

1 %< kick, hit or !unched them.


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Domestic Violence and Child Abuse

Stark and litcraft %'++. e#amined the medical records of %% mothers of

children here child abuse as knon orsus!ected

1 &2 < 52( omen6 ith a trauma historyindicative of battering

1 2 < 5 omen6 ith a history that suggestedmarital conflict.

1 here mothers ere sub=ect to domestic violence, thefather as three times more likely to be the child$s abuserthan in families here mothers ere not !hysicallyabused.


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Domestic Violence and Child Abuse.

armer and *en 5%''26

1 domestic !iolence featured in %2 & of their

intensi!e sample of '' children registered as a

result of child protection case conferences.

Aibbons et al 5%''26

1 eamined the social $ork records for 888 families

in $hich children $ere referred to the childprotection sstem, finding that domestic !iolence

$as recorded for 2* & of these families.


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Domestic Violence and Child /buse.

9ester and Badford 5%''6 child contact study.

1 2 of the %+ $omen li!ing in ngland reported thattheir male partner has also inflicted phsical or

seual !iolence upon their children.

8C9 Survey 5/brahams %''&6.

%-+ omen survivors of domestic abuse ith (&

children beteen them.1 2* & of the mothers reported that the children had

been hit or abused b the !iolent man.


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Domestic Violence and Parenting.

/ difficult conte#t for mother)child relationshi!s todevelo!.1 Poorer !hysical and emotional health, e#haustion and loss

of self)confidence 8C9 Survey 5/brahams %''&6.

1 *ften commences or escalates during !regnancyearly!arenthood.

1 *ften aggravated by children$s emotional and behaviouralres!onses to domestic violence.

1 inancial and social isolation.

athers:1 violent men are less involved ith their children, their ?....irritability a!!ears to s!ill over into fathering@ 59olden andBitchie %''%, !. ;(26.


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eaving Violent !en.

!overty

!oor housing

disru!ted access to health care

disru!ted access to education

disru!ted access to !lay and social activities.


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The "m#act of Domestic Violence $#on

Children.

Children$s res!onses vary enormously:

1 de!elopmental age,

1 their particular eperience of abuse,

1 $hat the kno$ of their mother-s abuse,

1 $hat support the recei!e,

1 their relationships $ith adults outside of thefamil.


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Children.

phsical inuries, including bruises and broken bones.

being protecti!e of their mother and/or siblings

phsicall inter!ening, $ithholding information, getting

help etc.

ad!anced in maturit and sense of responsibilit.

aggression/anger to mother and/or others

intro!ersion/$ithdra$al feeling guilt/to blame. secreti!e/silent/unable to tell. self#blame/bitterness.


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Children.

fear, insecurit, tension. truanting, running a$a. difficulties at school. disruptions in school and li!ing arrangements. emotional confusion in relation to parents bed#$etting. nightmares. sleep disturbances. eating difficulties. self#harm.


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Children.

$eight loss. de!elopmental delas in oung children. sadness/depression.

social isolation. difficulties $ith trusting others. lo$ self esteem. poor social skills.

highl de!eloped social skills. abilit to negotiate difficult situations. phsical smptoms including headaches, stomach

aches, and diarrhoea.


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?/ny !rofessional orking ith children

may observe the results of living ith

domestic violence but ill ty!ically bee7ui!!ed ith little idea of ho to

res!ond@

(1ullender and 1orle ', p. 2).


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Changing Policy and Practice.

..to move from the periphery to the

centreof social, health care andcommunity safetycivil and criminal

=ustice agencies ork.


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4ey Eessages.

3ake domestic !iolence seriousl.

Protect and support $omen and children.

De!elop effecti!e multi#agenc partnerships. 4onsistent agenc approach:

1 5afet.

1 3raining,

1 Practice guidelines.


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%ey Documents.

Fiving ithout ear %'''

Eulti)/gency Auidance for /ddressing Domestic

Violence$. 9ome *ffice (---.

orking "ogether to Safeguard Children. %'''

Domestic Violence: / Besource Eanual for9ealth Care Professionals. De!artment of 9ealth

(---.


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"he Bole of the Community Paediatrician.

"ake domestic violence seriously.

1 Gm!rove aareness.

1 Gm!rove recognition.


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Questions that could be asked to facilitate disclosures, when

you suspect a child is experiencing domestic abuse:

hat ha!!ens hen you mum and dad 5mum and ste!dad, dad and

ste!mum, etc6 disagreeH

hat does you dad do hen he gets angryH

Did you ever hear or see your dad hurting your mumH hat did youdoH

ho do you talk to about things that make you unha!!yH

hat kind of things make you scared or angryH

Do you orry about your mum and dadH

6dapted from 3he 4hildren-s 5ubcommittee of the 7ondon (ntario) 4o#ordinating

4ommittee to nd 9oman 6buse ("n 1ullender and 1orle ').


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"he Bole of the Community Paediatrician.

Protect and su!!ort omen and children.

1 0nsure safety.

1 Sources of su!!ort and !rotection.

1 orking "ogether %'''


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here there is evidence of domestic violence, the

im!lications for any children in the household should

be considered, including the !ossibility that thechildren may themselves be sub=ect to violence or

other harm$

(9orking 3ogether , p. *).


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/ssessing the child$s safety.

hen as the most recent incident of abuseviolenceH /sk if the child feels able to give details about this incidentH

as their mother locked in a room or !revented from leaving the houseH

/sk if either of these things have ha!!ened beforeH

/sk if alcohol or substance abuse as involvedH

ere any ea!ons used or threatened to be usedH /sk if any ea!ons

have been used or threatened to be used in the !astH

here ere the child$s siblings during the violenceH

9ave the !olice ever come to their houseH /nd hat ha!!enedH

hat do they do hen there is violenceH Do they try to interveneH hat

ha!!ensH

6dapted from 3he 4hildren-s 5ubcommittee of the 7ondon (ntario) 4o#ordinating

4ommittee to nd 9oman 6buse ("n 1ullender and 1orle ').


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Domestic violence is likely to have a damaging effect

on the health and develo!ment of children, and it ill

often be a!!ro!riate for such children to be regarded

as children in need$.

(9orking 3ogether, 5ection .+8).


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Su!!orting Children.

Primary !revention ork ith all children and young

!eo!le.

Secondary !revention ith those knon to be livingith domestic abuse, to !rovide su!!ort and hel!

ith safety strategies.

"ertiary !revention ith those that need hel! in

recovering from their e#!eriences after they have

safely left abusive situations.


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The &ole of the Community Paediatrician.

0ffective multi)agency !artnershi!s.1 Gnter)agency ork,

1 Focal !ublic health !olicy.

1 Service develo!ment. Develo! !rofessional !racticeagency a!!roach.

1 Safety.

1 "raining,

1 Practice guidelines.


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Conclusion.

The &ole of the Community Paediatrician.

"ake domestic violence seriously.

Protect and su!!ort omen and children.

0ffective multi)agency !artnershi!s.

Develo! !rofessional !racticeagency a!!roach.