Responding to Children Exposed to Domestic Violence

The following research studies and policies address a variety of collaborative programs that respond to children exposed to domestic violence. Resources include State and local examples.

16 Trauma-Informed, Evidence-Based Recommendations for Advocates Working with Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence (PDF - 236 KB)
DeBoard-Lucas, Wasserman, Groves, & Bair-Merritt (2013)
Futures Without Violence
Offers a set of concise and practical recommendations create to help guide for program staff and advocates in their daily working with mothers and families. The recommendations are drawn from
a review of core components of evidence-based therapeutic intervention models for children exposed to intimate partner violence.

Child Protection in Families Experiencing Domestic Violence
Office on Child Abuse and Neglect, Children's Bureau
Bragg, H. Lien.
Research shows that children exposed to domestic violence are at increased risk of being abused or neglected. This manual discusses the intersection of child maltreatment and domestic violence with a focus on child protection practice.

Children Exposed to Violence
CrimeSolutions.gov
Provides research on programs serving children who have witnessed or are victimized by crime to inform practitioners and policymakers about what works in criminal justice, juvenile justice, and crime victim services. Research is scored on being effective, promising, or showing no effects.

Connect: Supporting Children Exposed to Domestic Violence: In-Service Training for Resource Families (PDF - 1,000 KB)
Family Violence Prevention Fund (2009)
Offers a basic training session for foster parents, kin caregivers, and adoptive parents on the dynamics of domestic violence, the impact of exposure to domestic violence on children, and strategies for supporting children who have been exposed to violence.

Counseling Skills for Working With Trauma: Healing From Child Sexual Abuse, Sexual Violence and Domestic Abuse
Sanderson (2013)
View Abstract
Provides a comprehensive introductory guide to understanding complex trauma and offers practical advice on counseling survivors of domestic violence and helping them learn practical skills to restore control over trauma symptoms in order to aid healing and posttraumatic growth.

Enhanced Services to Children and Youth Exposed to Domestic Violence: Promising Practices and Lessons Learned (PDF - 4,089 KB)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Resource Center on Domestic Violence & Family and Youth Services Bureau (2012)
Describes the experiences of nine demonstration projects funded by the Family and Youth Services Bureau (HHS) to better serve children, youth, and families experiencing domestic violence. The report includes information on collaborative partnerships formed among related service providers.

Evidence-Based Practices for Children Exposed to Violence: A Selection From Federal Databases (PDF - 335 KB)
U.S. Department of Justice & U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2011)
Summarizes Federal reviews of research studies and program evaluations to help localities address childhood exposure to violence and improve outcomes for children, families, and communities.

Healing the Invisible Wounds: Children's Exposure to Violence: A Guide for Families (PDF - 3,080 KB)
Safe Start Center (2009)
Helps parents and other caregivers understand the potential impact of exposure to violence on the development of children and provides practical suggestions for supporting the healing process for children of all ages.

Honor Our Voices
Avon Foundation for Women, Minnesota Center Against Violence and Abuse (MINCAVA), and Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare (CASCW) at the University of Minnesota
Presents an online learning module of practice guides and digital stories designed to increase the awareness and sensitivity of shelter advocates and other providers to the needs of children and suggests promising ways of enhancing services for children exposed to domestic violence.

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State and local examples

Child Welfare Practices for Cases with Domestic Violence (PDF - 748 KB)
Oregon Department of Human Services, Children, Adults and Families Division (2010)
Focuses on domestic violence cases in which child protective services intervenes and describes the department's best practices for working with domestic violence cases throughout the life of a case.

The Child Witness to Violence Project
Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Boston Medical Center
Provides counseling, advocacy, training, and outreach focusing on children who are bystanders to community and domestic violence.

Identifying and Responding to the Needs of Children in Domestic Violence Shelters: Final Report (PDF - 973 KB)
Center for Child and Family Policy, Duke University (2008)
Describes a training protocol developed in North Carolina to improve the capacities of staff of domestic violence shelters to screen, intervene, and refer shelter residents who are experiencing distress related to their exposure to violence.

The Needs of Children in Domestic Violence Shelters (PDF - 3951 KB)
Center for Child and Family Health (2009)
Serves as a teaching tool and guide for domestic violence workers in North Carolina to understand how trauma from domestic violence affects children and how best to serve the children's needs.

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