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Children's Exposure to Domestic Violence: Is It Child Abuse?

added 04/30/2008
By Steve Christian

"Each year, millions of children are exposed to incidents of adult domestic violence. Children in violent households are at increased risk of physical abuse and often experience heightened levels of depression, anxiety and aggression. Policymakers are concerned about the effects of domestic violence on children's safety and well-being. Some are considering whether to treat exposure to domestic violence as child maltreatment and to require that such exposure be reported to and investigated by child welfare authorities. Some domestic violence experts have criticized this approach as unnecessary and counterproductive. This report reviews what states have done, summarizes the arguments for and against this new and controversial strategy, briefly reviews some alternative policy approaches to the problem, and identifies some key issues for legislators."

Mental Health Services for Children Who Witness Domestic Violence

added 04/30/2008
Betsy McAlister Groves

This article discusses the effects of exposure to domestic violence, identification and assessment, and mental health interventions.

A Blueprint for Responding to Children Exposed to Domestic Violence in Pediatric Health Care (pdf)

added 04/30/2008
Institute for Safe Families

The purpose of this document is to provide training for health care providers when working with and screening for children exposed to domestic violence. A list of recommendations is included.

A Judicial Checklist for Children and Youth Exposed to Violence (Actual Checklist for Consideration) (pdf)

added 01/22/2007
 

A detailed checklist outlining information for judges to consider when working with cases where children or youth have been exposed to violence. A technical assistance brief detailing educational information and knowledge that is important for judges to be familiar with, can be found under the additional title.

A Judicial Checklist for Children and Youth Exposed to Violence (Informational Reading) (pdf)

added 01/22/2007
 

A technical assistance brief that addresses the need for judges to understand the impact violence has on children and adolescents. The detailed checklist outlining information for judges to consider is located separate from this material.

Assessing Child Exposure to Adult Domestic Violence (word)

added 07/06/2006
Jeffrey L. Edleson, Amanda L. Ellerton, Ellen A. Seagren, Staci L. Kirchberg, Sarah O. Schmidt, & Amirthini T. Ambrose

This article addresses the current available assessment tools for measuring the level of exposure to domestic violence children have witnessed within the home. A brief review of the existing measurements is offered as well as the need for a more thoroughly refined assessment tool. Suggestions are offered.

Assessing Risk To Children From Batterers (pdf)

added 06/16/2005
Lundy Bancroft and Jay G. Silverman

This document provides an overview of potential sources of physical and psychological injury to children from contact with batterers, details recommendations for evaluating the risk to children and provides assessment guidelines that professionals can apply in cases where a batterer admits to a history of abusiveness by asserting that he has changed. Information is also provided regarding the necessary context for children's recovery from exposure to battering behavior.

Balancing the Harms - Protecting Children

added 01/29/2007
Sharwline Nicholson

The author addresses the need for change in the child protection system and the current means through which children are removed from the home in domestic violence situations. The page provides a short video clip from the author's work-in-progress which addresses actual cases.

Barbara J. Hart's Collected Writings

added 05/20/2000
Barbara J. Hart

18 of Barbara J. Hart's most recent writings. Barbara J. Hart is the Legal Director of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Associate Director of the Battered Women's Justice Project, and Legal Consultant to the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence.

Other formats: plaintext • pdf

Behind Closed Doors: The Impact of Domestic Violence on Children (pdf)

added 05/09/2007
UNICEF

This document is a collection of information about the extent of child exposure, the key finding of the research in this field, and recommendations for policymakers.

Building Bridges Between Domestic Violence Organizations and Child Protective Services

added 10/26/2005
Linda Spears

This paper provides both background information and a framework for collaboration with child protection agencies that will support the work of domestic violence advocates as they try to improve safety for women and their children.

Other formats: plaintext • pdf

Child Abuse and Domestic Violence: Creating Community Partnerships for Safe Families - Suggested Components of an Effective Child Welfare Response to Domestic Violence

added 04/30/2008
Janet Carter and Susan Schechter

November 1997. This paper is meant to serve as a working document rather than the "last word," and it will be subject to revision as child welfare and domestic violence agencies on the vanguard of creating partnerships learn more about the link between child abuse and domestic violence, and how to best protect both children and their abused mothers. While the suggested practices and policies are by no means exhaustive, it is hoped that setting them out will save agencies from having to "reinvent the wheel," and will, at the same time, motivate them to add additional "spokes."

Child Protective Services for Children of Battered Women: Practice and Controversy

added 01/04/2001
Carol Echlin and Larry Marshal for the London and Middlesex Children's Aid Society

1995. A look at the difficulties that child protection workers face when trying to make a situation safe for children who witness woman abuse.

Child Welfare Practices for Cases with Domestic Violence (pdf)

added 03/18/2004

This is the third edition of Child Welfare Practice for Cases with Domestic Violence, developed as part of an overall effort to increase the safety of adults and children through collaboration of domestic violence services and child protective services.

Child Welfare: Health & Human Services

added 04/30/2008
Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence

This website provides a number of documents and related resources, particlarly for child welfare workers. Training resources and interventions are provided as well.

Child Witnesses to Domestic Violence - Common Questions

added 04/30/2008
The Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence

Frequently Asked Questions about child witnessing of domestic violence are answered along with information about how children are impacted, the long-term effects, and how to help.

Child Witnesses to Domestic Violence: A Meta-Analytic Review (pdf)

added 04/30/2008
Katherine M. Kitzmann, Noni K. Gaylord, Aimee R. Holt, & Erin D. Kenny

This study compared children exposed to domestic violence to children not so exposed. The results showed that child witnesses to domestic violence exhibit more negative outcomes.

Children and Domestic Violence

added 05/09/2007
Centre for Children and Families in the Justice System

A variety of resources are provided for professionals and for any person interested in learning more about children and domestic violence, including books and training materials.

Children and Domestic Violence (pdf)

added 05/09/2007
Steve Cohen

This document is based on a presentation done by Steve Cohen. It reviews the impact of exposure to domestic violence on children, the scope of the problem, and a variety of resources are also provided.

Children and Family Violence: The Unnoticed Victims

added 05/20/1996
Gabrielle M. Maxwell of New Zealand's Office of the Commissioner for Children

May 1994 report based on a New Zealand study. This document goes into detail about child exposure to domestic violence and the consequences of such witnessing.

Other formats: plaintext • pdf

Children Exposed to Domestic Violence (pdf)

added 04/30/2008
Rhode Island Kids Count

In this brief, an outline is provided that details the domestic violence problem, how it effects children by age and gender, the connection between DV and child abuse, and Rhode Islands specific efforts to combat the problem.

Children Exposed to Domestic Violence: "Silent Witnesses" (pdf)

added 04/30/2008

This document offers statistics and also discusses the impact of child exposure to domestic violence as children progress in age.

Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence: Research Findings and Implications for Intervention

added 04/30/2008
Bonnie E. Carlson

Prevalence rates are discussed in addition to moderating factors for childrens' responses to domestic violence. Group and individual interventions are reviewed in the context of witnessing DV.

Children Exposed to Violence: A Handbook for Police Trainers to Increase Understanding and Improve Community Responses (pdf)

added 10/30/2003
L.L. Baker, P.G. Jaffe, S.J. Berkowitz & M. Berkman

This handbook is for domestic violence specialists and trainers in police departments. It is designed to increase the understanding of children’s exposure to domestic violence by officers responding to these situations.

Children Exposed to Violence: A Teacher's Handbook to Increase Understanding and Improve Community Responses (pdf)

added 10/30/2003
L.L. Baker, P.G. Jaffe, L.M. Ashbourne & J. Carter

This 26-page resource helps educators understand how violence affects children at different ages, what teachers may see in the classroom, teaching strategies, handling parent-attended events, and supporting students who disclose.

Children Hurt Too: How You Can Help (pdf)

added 02/09/2006
King County

This booklet contains information put together by King County in Washington, that can help parents to talk to their children about the violence, and help children to recover from their experience so they don’t become abusers or victims themselves.

Children Who Witness Domestic Violence: The Invisible Victims (pdf)

added 05/09/2007
Joy D. Osofsky

A review of the effects of exposure to both domestic violence and community violence is the focus of this work, and the author discusses what is learned by children who witness such violence. Further directions for research are also included.

Children's Domestic Violence Assessment Tool (pdf)

added 04/30/2008

"The purpose of this tool is to help assess safety, risk, strengths and needs. It may be used to assist in decision making and service planning during any stage of the CPS case (assessment through case planning and case management) in conjunction with required Structured Decision Making Tools. The tool is designed for use with the child(ren) in CPS cases involving domestic violence."

Children's Exposure to Domestic Violence

added 04/30/2008
Child Welfare Information Gateway

This article reviews the various effects, possible symptoms, protective factors, and the professional response.

Children's Exposure to Domestic Violence: A Guide to Research and Resources (pdf)

added 01/22/2007
Alicia Summers

Published in collaborative work with the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, this document outlines: the impace of domestic violence on children, the legal issues and system responses affecting children exposed to domestic violence, and provides useful resources which address this specific area of interest.

Children's Exposure to Domestic Violence: Striving Toward an Ecological Framework for Interventions (pdf)

added 05/09/2007
Cliff McKinney, Karin Sieger, Allison Kanter Agliata, Kimberly Renk

The authors discuss the implications for childhood exposure to domestic violence and reviews a myriad of interventions that have been shown to counteract some of the consequences.

Children's Exposure to Violence

added 05/09/2007
National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges

This website provides access to research articles about a variety of topics related to child exposure to domestic violence. Articles can be searched for by topic.

Children's Exposure to Violence: The Safe Start Initiative

added 02/14/2002
Kracke, K. , U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

An April 2001 Factsheet presents an overview of the Safe Start Initiative. Researchers estimate that as many as 10 million U.S. children witness or are victims of violence in their homes or communities each year. The Safe Start Initiative, which was developed by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in partnership with the Office of Justice Programs and the Department of Health and Human Services, is designed to prevent and reduce the impact of violence on young children and their families through the development of comprehensive and collaborative service delivery systems.

Children's Witnessing of Adult Domestic Violence

added 04/30/2008
Jeffrey Edleson

This article focuses on understanding on how witnessing violence in defined, what we know about its effects on children, and how such information may be used or misused.

Children, Young People and Domestic Violence (pdf)

added 05/09/2007
Lesley Laing

The author explores "the ways in which children and young people experience domestic violence," as well as the impact it has on child development and the response by professionals and the child protection system is also reviewed.

Civil and Criminal Responses to Children and Youth Who Experience Domestic Violence: A Model Policy Response for Vermont (pdf)

added 12/15/2005
Amy Fitzgerald, Jill Richard, Amy Torchia and Janine Allo

This series was created through a collaboration of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Vermont Department for Children and Families and the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services. Part II of the series provides well-documented information for policy development regarding criminal and civil responses to issues impacting children exposed to domestic violence that hold batterers accountable. The paper incudes a discussion of unintended consequences of these policies, a review of several state statutes and a model response and recommendations for Vermont.

Conversations with Mothers of Color Who Have Experienced Domestic Violence Regarding Working with Men to End Domestic Violence (pdf)

added 10/26/2005
Angela Autry, Lonna Davis, Kelly Mitchell-Clark and Gabriel Atchison PhD, Principal Researcher

This document explores the attitudes and perceptions of women of color survivors with children. The overarching objective was to hear what women had to say about efforts to engage men and fathers of color as allies in stopping intimate partner violence and restoring health in partnership and parenting. The research was undertaken by the Family Violence Prevention Fund as part of the development of our national violence prevention campaign.

Domestic Violence and Children: A Children's Health Fund Report (pdf)

added 05/09/2007
The Children's Health Fund

The author discusses domestic violence as a pediatric issue and as a valuable source for intervention.

Domestic Violence and children: Analysis and Recommendations (pdf)

added 04/30/2008
L.S. Carter, L.A. Weithorn, & R.E. Behrman

This document reviews the prevalence of child exposure to domestic violence by documenting their existence in all segments of the community. The impact of exposure on children is also discussed.

Domestic Violence and Welfare Policy: Research Findings That Can Inform Policies on Marriage and Child Well-Being (pdf)

added 04/30/2008
Sharmila Lawrence

The author looks at domestic violence among women on welfare, the impact on children who are exposed to violence in the home, and methods to increase the stability of marriages.

Domestic Violence as a Form of Child Abuse: Identification and Prevention

added 04/30/2008
Marianne James

By looking at the ways child exposure to domestic violence manifests itself during the various stages of a child's life, the author documents ways to identify problems in exposed children and discusses specific intervention strategies.

Domestic Violence Homicide: The Children Left Behind

added 02/26/2007

This is a link to an audio presentation given by the author regarding her research findings from interviews with adults who lost their parent(s) as children due to fatal acts of domestic violence. A powerpoint presentation is also available on this link that addresses the points discussed in her lecture.

Domestic Violence is associated with environmental suppression of IQ in young children

added 04/30/2008
Karestan C. Koenen, Terrie E. Moffitt, Avshalon Caspi, Alan Taylor, & Shaun Purcell

The researchers document the consequences of early childhood stress, such as exposure to domestic violence, on brain development, which subsequently can lead to a lower IQ.

Domestic Violence Services

added 04/30/2008
Child Welfare Information Gateway

Being knowledgeable about domestic violence services available to families, particularly children who have been exposed to violence in the home, has become increasingly important. This document offers an array of links, information, and resources related to such services.

Dual or Multiple Relationships: Guidelines for Rural Domestic Violence and Child Protection Collaborations (pdf)

added 12/15/2005
Ellie Breitmaier

This is part of a series that was created through a collaboration of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Vermont Department for Children and Families and the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services. Part VI discusses actual and perceived conflicts of interest when service providers act in more than one role or relationship, providing recommendations on how to address these dilemmas/questions.

Effects of Domestic Violence on Children

added 05/09/2007
Binnie LeHew, Violence Prevention Coordinator

Binnie discusses the resulting behaviors and manifestations of child exposure to domestic violence, variables/demographics that impact the response, and patterns of abuse, with a focus on Iowa laws.

Effects of Domestic Violence on Children and Adolescents: An Overview

added 07/12/2004
Joseph S. Volpe, Ph.D., B.C.E.T.S.

The article examines the prevalence and domestic violence as a cause of traumatic stress in children.

Effects On Children & Teens

added 05/09/2007
 

A discussion about the impact of domestic violence characterizes this document, and is supplemented with a review of the impact at the various stages of child development.

Expanding Solutions for Domestic Violence and Poverty: What Battered Women with Abused Children Need from Their Advocates

added 01/13/2006
Susan Schechter

This paper was originally delivered as a talk at the Violence Institute of New Jersey, June 21, 2000. This paper discusses the links between the abuse of women and the maltreatment of their children and the connection between domestic violence and poverty.

Other formats: plaintext • pdf

Exposure to Interparental Violence in Childhood and Psychosocial Adjustment in Young Adulthood (pdf)

added 04/30/2008
David M. Fergusson & L. John Horwood

The authors discuss how exposure to domestic violence as children manifests itself during the adolescent period. The article concludes that young adults who were exposed to domestic violence during their childhood had increased rates of mental health disorders, substance abuse usage, and criminal recrods.

Exposure to Violence: Psychological and Academic Correlates in Child Witnesses

added 02/08/2002
Hallam Hurt, MD; Elsa Malmud, PhD; Nancy L. Brodsky, PhD; Joan Giannetta, BA

2001 Report. Inner-city children are frequently exposed to violence; however, there are few data regarding the psychological and academic correlates of such exposure in young children at school entry. This study aims to document exposure to violence in inner-city children aged 7 years; assess their feelings of distress; and evaluate the relationships of exposure to violence with school performance, behavior, and self-esteem.

Other formats: pdf

Exposure to Violence: Psychological and Academic Correlates in Child Witnesses

added 04/30/2008
Hallam Hurt, MD; Elsa Malmud, PhD; Nancy L. Brodsky, PhD; Joan Giannetta, BA

2001 Report. Inner-city children are frequently exposed to violence; however, there are few data regarding the psychological and academic correlates of such exposure in young children at school entry. This study aims to document exposure to violence in inner-city children aged 7 years; assess their feelings of distress; and evaluate the relationships of exposure to violence with school performance, behavior, and self-esteem.

Family Violence: Open Directory Project

added 05/09/2007

This page is a comprehensive list of links to various organizations and websites that provide information and resources about children and domestic violence.

Guidelines for Responding to the Co-occurrence of Child Maltreatment and Domestic Violence (pdf)

added 04/22/2002

The purpose of these Guidelines is to provide direction to child protection staff when responding to situations in which child maltreatment and domestic violence are both occurring.

Helping Children Affected by Domestic Violence (pdf)

added 05/09/2007
Human Services Policy Center

This is a comprehensive document about children who have been exposed to domestic violence and is supplemented with specific interventions that have shown to help palliate the impact.

Helping Children Cope with Violence: A School-Based Program That Works (pdf)

added 10/26/2005
A RAND Corporation publication

Violence is one of our most significant public health issues. Children exposed to violence frequently develop post-traumatic stress symptoms. They are more likely to have behavioral problems, poorer school performance, more days of school absence, and feelings of depression and anxiety. School officials are often willing to provide help at school. But these professionals face an important question: What works? There have been no randomized controlled trials of intervention effectiveness with which to answer this question. To fill this gap, a team of clinician-researchers from several institutions collaborated to develop, implement, and evaluate an intervention designed to help children traumatized by violence. The team included professionals from the RAND Corporation, the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), and the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).

Helping Children Exposed to Domestic Violence: Law Enforcement and Community Partnerships (pdf)

added 04/18/2002
Barbara E. Smith, Laura B. Nickles, Darlanne Hector Mulmat, and Heather J. Davies for the American Bar Association and Association of Governements

March 2001 report. Discusses law enforcement and community responses to children who have been exposed to domestic violence.

Helping Children Thrive - Supporting Woman Abuse Survivors as Mothers: A Resource to Support Parenting (pdf)

added 07/19/2004

This 76-page resource is written for service providers assisting women who have survived woman abuse. Material addresses the needs of abused women as mothers, how abusive men parent, how abusive men affect family dynamics, effects of power and control tactics on mothers, the potential impact of woman abuse on children of different ages, and strategies used by young people to cope with violence in their homes. Guidance on parenting children who have lived with violence is also offered. Forty-four pages are designed as handouts for women, to be distribued as an adjunct to individual or group interventions on woman abuse or on parenting.

How Children Are Involved in Adult Domestic Violence: Results From a Four City Telephone Survey

added 04/30/2008
Jeffrey L. Edleson, Lyungai F. Mbilinyi, Sandra K. Beeman, and Annelies K. Hagemeister

This article, which was published in Vol. 18, No. 1 of the Journal of Interpersonal Violence (2003), summarizes a study that collected direct reports on domestic violence events. Information was gathered through anonymous telephone interviews with 114 battered mothers in four metropolitan areas across the United States, eliciting detailed information from the women on their children’s observations and responses to the violence being committed against the mothers. The article concludes with recommendations for a greater emphasis on careful assessment of children’s involvement in domestic violence incidents and on assisting mothers to achieve economic stability as well as safety.

Identifying and Responding to Domestic Violence: Consensus Recommendations for Child and Adolescent Health

added 03/21/2003

The guidelines offered here provide specific recommendations for screening and responding to domestic violence in child health settings, which provide a unique and important opportunity to screen for domestic violence and to educate parents about the impact of such violence on children. These guidelines also speak to the need for child health providers to engage in, model, and take leadership in delivering effective primary prevention of domestic violence, as well as other types of family and community violence, by highlighting violence prevention during well child and other routine visits, as a component of routine anticipatory guidance.

In the Best Interest of Women and Children: A Call for Collaboration Between Child Welfare and Domestic Violence Constituencies

added 10/11/2005
Susan Schechter and Jeffrey L. Edleson, Ph.D.

This is a briefing paper prepared for a Wingspread Conference of a similar title. It discusses family violence, specifically against women and children, barriers to helping the victims, and the importance of collaboration to effect change.

Other formats: plaintext • pdf

Infant Exposure to Domestic Violence Predicts Heightened Sensitivity to Adult Verbal Conflict (pdf)

added 04/30/2008
Erica S. Dejonghe, G. Anne Bogat, Alytia A. Levendosky, Alexander Von Eye, and Williams S. Davidson II

The results of this article found that infants do respond negatively to verbal conflict in the environment.

Intergenerational Transmission of Partner Violence: A 20-Year Prospective Study (pdf)

added 08/20/2003
Miriam K. Ehrensaft and Patricia Cohen, Jocelyn Brown, Elizabeth Smailes, Henian Chen, and Jeffrey G. Johnson

An unselected sample of 543 children was followed over 20 years to test the independent effects of parenting, exposure to domestic violence between parents (ETDV), maltreatment, adolescent disruptive behavior disorders, and emerging adult substance abuse disorders (SUDs) on the risk of violence to and from an adult partner.

Learning to Listen, Learning to Help: Understanding Woman Abuse and Its Effects on Children (pdf)

added 03/17/2005
Linda Baker & Alison Cunningham

A concise handbook for students and volunteers entering the helping professions, to prepare them to recognize and respond to families in which there is or was violence at home. Topics include background material on the dynamics of woman abuse, the concept of power and control, facts and figures, how to support women and help them find appropriate resources, how children are affected by violence, how children cope with violence at home, how to respond to child disclosure of abuse and neglect, standards of professional conduct, taking stock of your own attitudes, and suggestions for how you can make a difference to end violence.

Little eyes, little ears: How violence against a mother shapes children as they grow (pdf)

added 04/30/2008
Alison Cunningham & Linda Baker

This comprehensive 44 page document is divided by topics that cover facts and figures, types of abuse against women and children, ways a child can be impacted by domestic violence, myths about women and abuse, copin strategies, and responding and reporting, among others.

Mothers and Children: Understanding the Links Between Woman Battering and Child Abuse

added 05/20/2000
Jeffrey L. Edleson, Ph.D.

This is a briefing paper for a strategic planning meeting on the Violence Against Women Act. "This paper focuses on an important gap in our current understandings of family violence: the link between woman battering and child abuse. It is surprising that after so many years of public attention it is only in recent years that a discussion of this link has begun to appear in the literature. At present, there is much more we need to know about the overlap between woman and child abuse."

Other formats: plaintext • pdf

Multi-disciplinary Teams Including Child Protection Teams Framework for Co-Occuring Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment (pdf)

added 12/15/2005
Ellie Breitmaier

This series was created through a collaboration of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Vermont Department for Children and Families and the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services. Part V describes the structure and purpose of child protection teams, provides guiding questions for domestic violence advocate members of such teams and highlights recommendations.

National Center for Children Exposed to Domestic Violence: Domestic Violence

added 04/30/2008
National Center for Children Exposed to Domestic Violence

A review of relevant websites, statistics, and current literature is provided in this document.

Optum Research: Domestic Violence and its Effect on Children

added 05/09/2007
Marcie Parker, Ph.D., C.F.L.E., R. Edward Bergmark, Ph.D., Mark Attridge, Ph.D., Jude Miller-Burke, Ph.D.

The authors discuss what domestic violence is, the harm it causes for children, indicators of such violence, and guildelines for investigating abuse.

Overlap of Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment in U.S. State Civil and Criminal Statutes

added 04/18/2000
Annelies Hagemeister, MA, Ph.D.

This April 2000 table lists statutes alphabetically by state.

Other formats: word

Parenting in the Context of Domestic Violence (pdf)

added 08/06/2003
Jeffrey L. Edleson, Ph.D., Lyungai F. Mbilinyi, M.S.W., and Sudha Shetty, J.D.

This report describes children’s exposure to domestic violence, the needs of both parents and children in the context of domestic violence events, and the resources available to help them.

Police in the Lives of Young Children Exposed to Domestic Violence (pdf)

added 11/17/2004
Miriam Berkman and Dean Esserman

This paper is part of series of paper that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper explores the important roles the police officer can play in assisting children and families experiencing domestic violence.

Prevalence of Children's Exposure to Domestic Violence: Implications for Prevention and Intervention (pdf)

added 04/30/2008
Joy D. Osofsky

A discussion surrounding the problems with defining domestic violence and the difficulty in determining prevlance rates as a result constitutes the bulk of this document. The implications of this problem are also looked at.

Prosecutors, Kids and Domestic Violence (pdf)

added 05/22/2003
Debra Whitcomb

This article describes some of the issues prosecutors should be aware of when they handle domestic violence cases involving children, especially in light of recent legislation aimed to protect children.

Prosecutors, Kids, and Domestic Violence Cases (pdf)

added 04/30/2008
Debra Whitcomb

"This article describes some of the issues prosecutors should be aware of when they handle domestic violence cases involving children, especially in light of recent legislation aiming to protect children."

Protecting Children from Exposure to Domestic Violence: The Use and Abuse of Child Maltreatment Statutes (pdf)

added 05/09/2007
Lois A. Weithorn, J.D., Ph.D.

This 145 page article is a comprehensive review and critical discussion about the laws and child protection responses that have shown to be effective.

Research and Practice in Child Interviewing: Implications for Children Exposed to Domestic Violence (pdf)

added 04/30/2008
Kathleen Coulborn Faller

"This article argues that methods employed in interviewing children about child maltreatment can be applied to interviewing children about exposure to domestic violence. The article describes how cognitive interviewing, narrative elaboration, and event segmentation can be employed when talking to children about domestic violence. In addition, the article discusses how focused questions related to child maltreatment and child endangerment can be used to elicit information from children about domestic violence."

Responding to Child Maltreatment and Domestic Violence

added 04/30/2008
Child Welfare Information Gateway

This article discusses the ongoing debate between child protection workers and domestic abuse advocates. It also outlines the similarities between the two groups as they work towards similar goals.

Responding to Children Exposed to Domestic Violence: Research Informing Practice and Policy (pdf)

added 04/30/2008
Catherine Koverola and Astrid Heger

This article discusses the political and practical ramifications of disparate disciplines, theories, and movements on the response to children exposed to domestic violence.

Responding to the Co-occurrence of Child Maltreatment and Adult Domestic Violence in Hennepin County

added 10/26/2005
Jeffrey L. Edleson, Ph.D. Sandra K. Beeman, Ph.D.M, University of Minnesota

In this report, Drs. Edleson and Beeman and their research assistants detail information collected from a variety of sources during the first half of 1999. Information collection included detailed reporting by child protection screeners and investigators in the Hennepin County Department of Children and Family Services (HCDCFS), consulting with national experts in this area, reviewing published materials on prominent demonstration projects from around the United States and Canada, and holding a series of stakeholder meetings throughout Hennepin County.

Other formats: word

Responding to the Co-occurrence of Child Maltreatment and Adult Domestic Violence in Hennepin County

added 04/30/2008
Jeffrey L. Edleson, Ph.D. Sandra K. Beeman

In this report, Drs. Edleson and Beeman and their research assistants detail information collected from a variety of sources during the first half of 1999. Information collection included detailed reporting by child protection screeners and investigators in the Hennepin County Department of Children and Family Services (HCDCFS), consulting with national experts in this area, reviewing published materials on prominent demonstration projects from around the United States and Canada, and holding a series of stakeholder meetings throughout Hennepin County.

Safe from the Start: Reducing Children's Exposure to Violence (pdf)

added 04/30/2008
California Attorney General's Office: Crime and Violence Prevention Center

This is a very comprehensive review of promising strategies and programs. It serves as a resource guide and includes evaluation tools and funding resources information.

Safe From the Start: Taking Action on Children Exposed to Violence

added 01/17/2001
 

Document posted by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). Click on the "Table of Contents" to view the entire document.

Sharwline Nicholson v. Nicholas Scoppetta - Appeals Decision

added 04/30/2008

This document outlines the Appeals decision regarding the case of Nicholson (filed as a class action in federal court in 2001). This history of this decision is based on the class action lawsuit in which battered mothers and their children in New York City successfully challenged the City child welfare agency's practice and policy of removing children from battered mothers and charging the mothers with child neglect due to domestic violence. The federal court ruled that the practice is unconstitutional under federal law. The case went up on appeal.

Should Childhood Exposure to Adult Domestic Violence Be Defined as Child Maltreatment Under the Law?

added 10/11/2005

Published as a chapter in Protecting Children From Domestic Violence: Strategies for Community Intervention (2004), this article reviews the research on childhood exposure to domestic violence and emerging laws aimed at protecting these children. The author concludes with an argument against assuming that childhood exposure to violence is automatically a form of child maltreatment and suggests the need to modify child protection services and the expansion of primarily voluntary community-based responses to these children and their families.

Other formats: word

Silent Victims Revisited: The Special Case of Domestic Violence

added 04/30/2008
Barry Zuckerman, Marilyn Augustyn, Betsy McAlister Groves, & Steven Parker

The authors discuss the current knowledge base on children exposed to domestic violence, the impact of such violence, and practice implications.

Supervised Visitation: Information for Mothers Who Have Been Abused (pdf)

added 07/25/2007

"This Guide should be given directly to mothers who have experienced abuse and whose children are in supervised visitation programs. It will tell mothers basic information about how supervised visitation programs work and how she can prepare herself and her children for the experience. If she is afraid of her children’s father or was abused by him, then the information in this Guide will be particularly helpful to her."

Tackling Domestic Violence: Providing Support for Children Who Have Witnessed Domestic Violence (pdf)

added 04/30/2008
Audrey Mullender

"This report provides good practice recommendations and suggestions for a range of practitioners and professionals who have a role in commissioning, developing, or delivering initiatives to support children who have in the past or are currently witenssing domestic violence."

Teachers' Resource: Child Abuse and Domestic Violence (pdf)

added 05/09/2007
 

Guidelines, particularly for teachers, are provided to help professionals respond to children who have been exposed to domestic violence and abuse. Mini-stories are included and are followed by suggestions as to how one should respond.

The Canadian Child Welfare Response to Cases of Exposure to Domestic Violence: Analysis of the 2003 Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (Cis-2003)

added 04/30/2008
Tara Black, Nico Trocme, Barbara Fallon, and Bruce MacLaurin

This document displays the results of a comparative overview of the child welfare response within Canadian boundaries to child exposure to domestic violence. Implications for policy are discussed.

The Effects of Domestic Violence on Children: Resources for Children

added 04/30/2008
Kent County Divorce Court

Ways to keep children safe, ways exposed children can cope, and statistics are provided in this document.

The Effects of Family and Community Violence on Children

added 04/30/2008
Gayla Margolin & Elana B. Gordis

This document is a review of the current literature on the impact that various types of violence exposure has on children.

The Facts on Children and Domestic Violence (pdf)

added 04/30/2008
Family Violence Prevention Fund

Outlined in this document is a list of statistics related to domestic violence and its impact on children and pregnancy.

The Impact of Domestic Violence on Urban Preschool Children: Battered Mother's Perspectives (pdf)

added 05/09/2007
Ellen R. Devoe & Erica L. Smith

"This article explores urban battered mothers' perceptions of their preschool children's exposure to domestic violence. It also examines mothers' reports about their young children's functioning and traumatic stress symptoms and the connections women make between their own experiences of victimization by partners and their children's difficulties."

The Overlap Between Child Maltreatment and Woman Abuse

added 05/06/1997
Jeffrey L. Edleson, Ph.D.

Reviews over 35 studies on the overlap between child maltreatment and woman battering in the same families. This paper has now been published in Violence Against Women, 1999, 5(2), pp. 134-154 and is no longer available on this site. This link, however, goes to a brief VAWnet paper on the topic.

Other formats: pdf

Understanding the Current Mental Health Needs of Children Experiencing Domestic Violence in Vermont: Recommendations for Enhancing and Improving Responses (pdf)

added 12/15/2005
Kathleen J. Moroz, Ellie Breitmaier and Amy Torchia

This is currently the final publication in the series created through a collaboration of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Vermont Department for Children and Families and the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services. Part VII reports on findings from a study investigating the number of children/youth in Vermont exposed to domestic violence, the effects of this exposure on their social/emotional development and mental health, services provided by domestic violence network and mental health programs, perceived barriers to providing these services, the training needs of service providers in Vermont and both strengths and gaps in the continuum of services for these children/youth.

United Nations Report on Violence Against Children

added 03/26/2007
 

The report describes the scope and nature of violence against children and its impact, approaching its subject from the perspectives of human rights, child protection, and public health. The report is available in 8 languages.

Vermont’s Coordinated Approach to Increase Safety for Women, Children and Youth Who Experience Domestic Violence (pdf)

added 12/15/2005
Janine Allo, Jill Richard and Amy Torchia

This document is part I of a series created through a collaboration of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Vermont Department for Children and Families and the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services. Part I describes the philosophy and structure of the "coordinated approach" as it impacts the three primary areas of services, training and policy. Lessons learned are highlighted.

Violence Against Women Document Library

added 05/09/2007
Violence Against Women Online Resources

A huge variety of information and resources are categorized by topics relating to children and domestic violence, including information about advocacy, child custody and protection, and criminal justice responses.

Violence in Families: Assessing Prevention and Treatment Programs

added 08/01/2006
Rosemary Chalk and Patricia A. King, Eds.

This is a full-text online book made available courtesy of The National Academies Press. This important book, published in 1998, details out chapter by chapter the different types of interventions to be utilized by different types of professionals, as well as makes recommendations.

Vision for services for children and young people affected by domestic violence (pdf)

added 04/30/2008
LGA, ADSS, Women's Aid, and CAFCASS

"This draft publication offers a pathway for services for children experiencing domestic violence which connects the two."

What About Me? Seeking to Understand the Child's View of Violence in the Family (pdf)

added 09/21/2004
Alison Cunningham and Linda Baker

This study was funded by the National Crime Prevention Strategy in Ottawa. It involves an exhaustive review of the literature on child exposure to domestic violence (almost 400 sources) integrated with extensive clinical experience to create a revolutionary new framework for understanding, studying and intervening with children who have lived with woman abuse. Case studies illustrate key points and child drawings bring to life the experience of violence through young eyes.

Other formats: html

When Children Experience Domestic Violence: Expert Opinion

added 04/30/2008
National Coalition for Child Protection Reform

This document includes a summary of a ruling made by a New York Judge to stop removing children from battered women because children of such women are exposed to domestic violence.

Witnessing Domestic Violence: The Effect on Children

added 04/30/2008
Melissa M. Stiles, M.D.

The author discusses the conequences of child exposure to domestic violence across various ages, as well as prevention and screening techniques. Community advocacy is emphasized.

Witnessing Violence Fact Sheet

added 04/30/2008
Joanne Davis, Ph.D. & Ernestine Briggs, Ph.D

The authors discuss the types of violence that children witness, prevlance rates, correlates, and future directions for research.

Working with Young Children and Their Families: Recommendations for Domestic Violence Agencies and Batterer Intervention Programs (pdf)

added 11/17/2004
Abigail Gewirtz and Resma Menakem

This paper is part of series of papers that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper addresses the way to offer support and safety for children while maintaining safety, autonomy and choide for battered women.

Working with Young Men Who Batter: Current Strategies and New Directions

added 01/14/2002
Dean Peacock and Emily Rothman, MS

This article offers an overview of the recent juvenile batterer intervention programs. It identifies risk factors for teen dating violence perpetration as described by the literature and considers the utility of these findings, describes efforts to prevent re-offenses by juvenile perpetrators of domestic violence, discusses several shortcomings inherent in post-crisis intervention, and outlines current challenges within the field.

Other formats: pdf

Young Children Living with Domestic Violence: The Role of Early Childhood Programs (pdf)

added 11/17/2004
Elena Cohen and Jane Knitzer

This paper is part of series of paper that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper highlights the rold of early childhood programs in supporting staff, community and state programs on behalf of the children and families affected by domestic violence.

Young Children's Exposure to Adult Domestic Violence: Toward a Developmental Risk and Resilience Framework for Research and Intervention (pdf)

added 11/17/2004
Abigail Gewirtz and Jeffrey L. Edleson

This paper is part of series of paper that addresses the way to mobilize community and programatic resources to provide responsive help to children and families affected both by domestic violence and poverty. This particular paper addresses impacts of adult domestic violence to young children through developmental risk and resiliency.

Youth Exposed to Domestic Violence: A Handbook for the Juvenile Justice System to Enhance Assessment and Intervention Strategies for Youth from Violent Homes (pdf)

added 05/12/2004
London Family Court Clinic

This is the fourth in a series of handbooks designed for professional groups with funding from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. This handbook contains information that will help you learn about: domestic violence and its impact on adolescents; evaluating risk and safety planning for victims of domestic violence; coordinated justice responses to domestic violence and the role of juvenile custody programs and probation; risk assessment and reduction with adolescent perpetrators of intimate partner and family violence; promising practices for adolescent perpetrators of intimate partner and family violence; and resources on domestic violence for adolescent victims and perpetrators.