Implementation of the Bulgarian Law (pdf)
"Throughout 2007, The Advocates' Women's Human Rights Program and BGRF conducted human rights monitoring to investigate implementation of the law by all principals, including the state, police, judges, prosecutors, media and NGOs. This report presents the findings and makes recommendations to improve implementation of the law. The report was produced with the support of the Oak Foundation and UNIFEM."
U.S. Policy Alert 2007 (pdf)
"Check out Polaris Projects U.S. Policy Alert for a state-by-state analysis on the status of Human Trafficking."
Child Witnesses to Domestic Violence: A Meta-Analytic Review (pdf)
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.
The Effects of Family and Community Violence on Children
This document is a review of the current literature on the impact that various types of violence exposure has on children.
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.
Silent Victims Revisited: The Special Case of Domestic Violence
The authors discuss the current knowledge base on children exposed to domestic violence, the impact of such violence, and practice implications.
Prevalence and Effects of Child Exposure to Domestic Violence (pdf)
A review of the problems associated with making valid and reliable estimates concerning the prevlance of child exposure to domestic violence in included in this document. Additionally, the impact of such exposure is discussed and the document ends with a discussion surrounding the need for more empirical research in order to effectively intervene with exposed children.
Infant Exposure to Domestic Violence Predicts Heightened Sensitivity to Adult Verbal Conflict (pdf)
The results of this article found that infants do respond negatively to verbal conflict in the environment.
Witnessing Violence Fact Sheet
The authors discuss the types of violence that children witness, prevlance rates, correlates, and future directions for research.
How Children Are Involved in Adult Domestic Violence: Results From a Four City Telephone Survey
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.
Witnessing Domestic Violence: The Effect on Children
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.
Vision for services for children and young people affected by domestic violence (pdf)
"This draft publication offers a pathway for services for children experiencing domestic violence which connects the two."
Exposure to Violence: Psychological and Academic Correlates in Child Witnesses
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.
The Facts on Children and Domestic Violence (pdf)
Outlined in this document is a list of statistics related to domestic violence and its impact on children and pregnancy.
The Effects of Domestic Violence on Children: Resources for Children
Ways to keep children safe, ways exposed children can cope, and statistics are provided in this document.
Tackling Domestic Violence: Providing Support for Children Who Have Witnessed Domestic Violence (pdf)
"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."
Safe from the Start: Reducing Children's Exposure to Violence (pdf)
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.
Responding to the Co-occurrence of Child Maltreatment and Adult Domestic Violence in Hennepin County
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.
Responding to Children Exposed to Domestic Violence: Research Informing Practice and Policy (pdf)
This article discusses the political and practical ramifications of disparate disciplines, theories, and movements on the response to children exposed to domestic violence.
Exposure to Interparental Violence in Childhood and Psychosocial Adjustment in Young Adulthood (pdf)
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.
Research and Practice in Child Interviewing: Implications for Children Exposed to Domestic Violence (pdf)
"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."
Prevalence of Children's Exposure to Domestic Violence: Implications for Prevention and Intervention (pdf)
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.
Domestic Violence is associated with environmental suppression of IQ in young children
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.
National Center for Children Exposed to Domestic Violence: Domestic Violence
A review of relevant websites, statistics, and current literature is provided in this document.
Little eyes, little ears: How violence against a mother shapes children as they grow (pdf)
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.
Domestic Violence and children: Analysis and Recommendations (pdf)
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.
Get the Facts - Domestic Violence and Children
Statistics and numbers are provided to give an idea of trends in the United States related to children and exposure to domestic violence.
Children's Witnessing of Adult Domestic Violence
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.
Domestic Violence, Child Abuse, and Youth Violence: Strategies for Prevention and Early Intervention
Another Family Violence Prevention Fund publication that argues for a collaborative, community-based approach to combatting child abuse, domestic violence and youth violence.
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.
Children's Exposure to Domestic Violence
This article reviews the various effects, possible symptoms, protective factors, and the professional response.
Domestic Violence Reading List
"This reading list was compiled by experts in the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. It includes important recent work as well as classic books and articles on domestic violence by Network and other experts in the field."
Domestic Violence as a Form of Child Abuse: Identification and Prevention
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.
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.
Children's Domestic Violence Assessment Tool (pdf)
"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 Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence: Research Findings and Implications for Intervention
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 Domestic Violence: "Silent Witnesses" (pdf)
This document offers statistics and also discusses the impact of child exposure to domestic violence as children progress in age.
Children Exposed to Domestic Violence (pdf)
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.
Child Witnesses to Domestic Violence - Common Questions
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 Welfare: Health & Human Services
This website provides a number of documents and related resources, particlarly for child welfare workers. Training resources and interventions are provided as well.
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."
A Blueprint for Responding to Children Exposed to Domestic Violence in Pediatric Health Care (pdf)
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.
Mental Health Services for Children Who Witness Domestic Violence
This article discusses the effects of exposure to domestic violence, identification and assessment, and mental health interventions.
Prosecutors, Kids, and Domestic Violence Cases (pdf)
"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."
Deciding Child Custody When There is Domestic Violence: A Benchbook for Pennsylvania Courts (2005)
A variety of links to documents and articles related to childhood exposure to domestic violence are provided on this website, as well as information pertaining to custody issues and the laws regarding child exposure.
When Children Experience Domestic Violence: Expert Opinion
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.
Sharwline Nicholson v. Nicholas Scoppetta - Appeals Decision
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.
Responding to Child Maltreatment and Domestic Violence
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.
"The purpose of the program is to equip unmarried mothers and fathers with skills for making healthy decisions and to explore future options for their relationship including the potential of getting married. New parents will learn skills for parenting together and strengthening their family unit."
Children's Exposure to Domestic Violence: Is It Child Abuse?
"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."
Human Trafficking in Minnesota, A Report to the Minnesota Legislature (pdf)
"In 2005, the Minnesota legislature passed Minnesota Statute 299A.785, requiring the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to complete annual studies on the extent and type of human trafficking occurring in our state. The first report was completed in September 2006 and this current report is the second annual report in response to that legislation."