Guest Bloggers: Lynette Renner, PhD, Lindsay Anderson, MSW

This is part two of the three-part blog series on Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) exposure in child welfare.

In the first issue of Practice Notes, Intimate Partner Violence in Child Welfare we defined exposure to IPV to range from directly observing the violence, to hearing and/or being told about violence, to seeing the aftermath of the violence (Cunningham & Baker, 2007). In this issue, we presented information on the developmental effects of children’s exposure to IPV at various stages of development and made the case for urgent and appropriate interventions to enhance the safety of all family members.

In the second issue of Practice Notes, we present tips for assessing and discussing factors of risk and resilience when interacting with individuals, families and communities affected by IPV. When assessing risk and resilience factors, it is important so consider all levels, individual, community and environmental. When assessing, child welfare professionals need to ensure that all conversations about IPV:

  • Focus around safety and respect
  • Introduce and de-stigmatize the violence
  • Include reminders that the violence is never the child’s fault
  • Involve dialogue between parents and children, and model skills for positive interaction and emotion identification (DeBoard-Lucas, Wasserman, Groves & Blair-Merritt, 2013).

When working specifically with children, workers should help to: 1) create a safe and secure home environment for all children; 2) connect children to trusting and supportive adults who will listen to them, believe them and shelter them; 3) create a sense of routine and normalcy; 4) connect children to support services that address the impact violence in the home; 5) teach children that IPV is never okay; and, 6) have adults advocate for their safety and raise awareness of the impact of IPV on children (National Child Traumatic Stress Network, 2010).

In our third and final blog post, we will focus on additional steps that workers can take to expand their knowledge of IPV. The blog post will include information about how to connect with other resources and agencies for further information and training.

References

Cunningham, A. & Baker, L. (2007). Little eyes, little ears: How violence against a mother shapes children as they grow. Retrieved from, http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2007/phac-aspc/HP20-5-2007E.pdf

DeBoard-Lucas, R., Wasserman, K., Groves, B., & Bair-Merritt, M. (2013). 16 trauma-informed, evidence-based recommendations for advocates working with children exposed to intimate partner violence. Futures Without Violence. Retrieved from, ocadvsa.org

National Child Traumatic Stress Network, Domestic Violence Collaborative Group. (2010). Domestic violence and children: Questions and answers for domestic violence project advocates. Los Angeles, CA, and Durham, NC: National Center for Child Traumatic Stress