Until very recently social work and other child care agencies in Britain have paid little, if any, attention to the impact of domestic violence on children. Audrey Mullender — a pioneer of research in this field — argues the need for a radical improvement in agencies' response to domestic violence, based on a general raising of sensitivity and awareness at both worker and agency level. Among the specific areas for development suggested are an emphasis on safety planning with women and children, the need for better links between women's services such as Women's Aid, and child care and child protection agencies, and the promotion of positive and healing work with child survivors of living with abuse.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AbrahamsC, The Hidden Victims: Children and domestic violence, NCH Action for Children, 1994
2.
AndrewsBBrownG W, ‘Marital violence in the community: A biographical approach’, in British Journal of Psychiatry, 153, 1988
3.
BowkerL HArbitellMMcFerronJ R, ‘On the relationship between wife beating and child abuse’, in YllöKBogradM, Feminist Perspectives on Wife Abuse, Sage, 1988
4.
BowkerL HMaurerL, ‘The medical treatment of battered wives’, in Women and Health, 12 (1), 1987
5.
Department of Health, Child Protection: Messages from research, HMSO, 1995
FarmerEOwenM, Child Protection Practice: Private risks and public remedies, HMSO, 1995
8.
FormanJ, Is There a Correlation Between Child Sexual Abuse and Domestic Violence? An exploratory study of the links between child sexual abuse and domestic violence in a sample of intrafamilial child sexual abuse cases, (reprint of an earlier, undated report), Women's Support Project, Lawson's Building, 1700 London Road, Glasgow G32 8XD, 1995
9.
HanmerJ, Women, Violence and Crime Prevention: A study of changes in police policy and practices in West Yorkshire, Violence, Abuse and Gender Relations Unit Research Paper no 1, Department of Applied Social Studies, University of Bradford, 1990
10.
HesterMHumphriesJPearsonCQaiserKRadfordLWoodfieldK-S, ‘Domestic violence and child contact’ in MullenderMorley (eds) Children Living with Domestic Violence: Putting men's abuse of women on the child care agenda, Whiting and Birch, 1994
11.
HoffL A, Battered Women as Survivors, Routledge, 1990
12.
JaffeP GWolfeD AWilsonS K, Children of Battered Women, Sage, 1990
13.
KellyL, ‘How women define their experiences of violence’, in Yllö K and Bograd M, Feminist Perspectives on Wife Abuse, Sage, 1988a
14.
KellyL, Surviving Sexual Violence, Polity Press, 1988b
15.
MooneyJ, The Hidden Figure: Domestic violence in North London, London Borough of Islington, Police and Crime Prevention Unit, 1994
16.
MorleyRMullenderA, ‘Domestic violence and children: What do we know from research?’ in MullenderMorley (eds), Children Living with Domestic Violence: Putting men's abuse of women on the child care agenda, op cit
17.
MullenderA, ‘Groups for child witnesses of women abuse: Learning from North America’, in MullenderMorley (eds), Children Living with Domestic Violence: Putting men's abuse of women on the child care agenda, op cit
18.
MullenderA, Re-thinking Domestic Violence: The social work and probation response, Routledge, (forthcoming)
19.
MullenderAMorleyR (eds), Children Living with Domestic Violence: Putting men s abuse of women on the child care agenda, op cit
20.
PahlJ, ‘Men who assault their wives – What can health visitors do to help?’, in Health Visitor55, 1982
21.
SinclairD, Understanding Wife Assault: A training manual for counsellors and advocates, Canada, (from Ontario Government Bookstore, Publications Services Section, 880 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario M7A 1N8)
22.
StarkEFlitcraftA, ‘Women and children at risk: A feminist perspective on child abuse’, in International Journal of Health Services18(1), 1988
23.
Tayside Women and Violence Group, Hit or Miss: An exploratory study of the provision for women subjected to domestic violence in Tayside Region, Tayside Regional Council, Equal Opportunities Unit, 1994
