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Assessing Child Exposure to Domestic Violence

This section provides links to resources on assessing children exposed to domestic violence.

Domestic Violence Assessment: Child Children's Bureau (HHS) User Manual Series (2003) In Child Protection in Families Experiencing Domestic Violence Presents questions to assess a child witness of domestic violence. Assessing Child Exposure to Adult Domestic Violence: Title IV-E Curriculum Module Edleson (2006) Presents a training with information on child exposure to domestic violence, assessment tools, and a table of available measures. Helping Young Children Affected by Domestic Violence: The Role of Pediatric Health Settings (PDF - 1040 KB) Groves & Fox (2004) In Early Childhood, Domestic Violence, and Poverty: Helping Young Children and Their Families Provides a review of research on domestic violence screening in pediatric settings.

Assessing Child Exposure to Adult Domestic Violence
Edleson, Ellerton, Seagren, Kirchberg, Schmidt, & Ambrose
Children and Youth Services Review, 29(7), 2007
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Reviews measures that assess both adult domestic violence and child exposure to and/or perception of domestic violence.

Children Living With Domestic Violence: Towards a Framework for Assessment and Intervention
Calder (2004)
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Guides professionals in the assessment of children of female survivors of male domestic violence and discusses effective interventions.

Development and Psychometric Refinement of a Measure Assessing Young Children's Exposure to Violence: Parent Report of Children's Experiences
Berent, Crusto, Lotyczewski, Greenberg, Hightower, & Kaufman
Best Practices in Mental Health, 4(1), 2008
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Presents a new brief measure for efficiently and effectively identifying children who have been exposed to violence.

Intervention and Treatment Strategies With Adolescents From Maritally Violent Homes
O'Keefe & Lebovics (2007)
In Battered Women and Their Families: Intervention Strategies and Treatment Programs
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Discusses common adolescent reactions to witnessing marital violence and ways in which exposure to marital violence may impede adolescent development, including guidelines for assessment.

Screening for Intimate Partner Violence When Children Are Present: The Victim's Perspective
Zink & Jacobson
Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 18(8), 2003
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Shows that most mothers were comfortable with their children being present for general intimate partner violence screening questions, but mothers preferred in-depth discussions about abuse to be held in private.

Young Children Exposed to Adult Domestic Violence: Incidence, Assessment, and Intervention
Rossman, Rea, Graham-Bermann, & Butterfield (2004)
In Protecting Children From Domestic Violence: Strategies for Community Intervention
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Reviews assessment and intervention strategies for children ages 0 to 6 years who are exposed to domestic violence.

Updated on January 5, 2009