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Domestic Violence, Child Welfare, and the School System

This section provides resources on how the school system identifies, responds, and provides support to children, youth, and families exposed to domestic violence and offers support to parents and caregivers who may be victims of domestic violence.

	Child Trauma Toolkit for Educators National Child Traumatic Stress Network (2008) Provides school administrators, teachers, staff, and concerned parents with basic information about working with traumatized children in the school system.

Children Exposed to Domestic Violence: A Teacher's Handbook to Increase Understanding and Improve Community Responses (PDF - 209 KB)
Baker, Jaffe, Ashbourne, & Carter (2002)
Reviews the teacher's role in identifying and supporting children exposed to domestic violence and outlines suggestions for school-based violence prevention programs that raise awareness and create a culture of safety within the school.

Children of Abuse and School Discourse: Implications for Teachers and Administration
Haeseler
Education, 126, 2006
View Abstract
Illuminates the developmental coping experiences of children exposed to domestic violence and the impact upon school discourse at the elementary school level.

The Fourth R: Strategies for Healthy Youth Relationships
Develops and evaluates school-based programs, resources, and training materials for professionals working with youth to target multiple forms of violence, including bullying, dating violence, peer violence, and group violence.

Helping Children Cope With Violence: A School-Based Program That Works
RAND Center for Domestic and International Health Security (2005)
Explores the effectiveness of a program designed to teach coping skills to sixth-grade students who have had substantial direct exposure to violence and are experiencing posttraumatic stress symptoms.

Helping Traumatized Children Learn: Supportive School Environments for Children Traumatized by Family Violence (PDF - 2190 KB)
Massachusetts Advocates for Children (2005)
Helps teachers, education administrators, and policymakers better understand the trauma children experience when exposed to domestic violence and proposes an educational and policy agenda that will enable schools to become supportive environments for traumatized children.

Teacher Education: Preparing Pre-Service Teachers to Help Children Who Live With Violence
Thompson & Smith-D'Arezzo
Family Violence and Sexual Assault Bulletin, 20, 2004
View Abstract
Describes how a university teacher-education program strengthened its curriculum to help preservice teachers learn how to work effectively with children and families that live with violence.

Updated on February 4, 2009