Victim Advocacy with Children Exposed to Domestic Violence Kathryn Ford, LMSW Center for Court Innovation 520 8 th Ave., 18 th Floor New York, NY 10018.
Post on 27-Mar-2015
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Victim Advocacy with Children Exposed to Domestic Violence
Kathryn Ford, LMSWCenter for Court Innovation520 8th Ave., 18th FloorNew York, NY 10018(646) 386-4181fordk@courtinnovation.org
What Do Kids Need to Heal & Grow? Sense of safety, structure, limits &
predictability Not feeling responsible for adults, clear
message about responsibility for DV Good boundaries around adult info Strong bond to primary caregiver: Feel
she can protect them, respect her, feel supported in having strong relationship
Adapted from Lundy Bancroft.
Principles for Supportive Response Use a developmental, child-centered,
strengths-based perspective View child in context of family, culture &
community Respect & support the role of the mother
as primary caregiver Services should be voluntary &
conducted in a spirit of collaboration Create a predictable environment that
offers safety, structure & nurturance
Children & DV Agencies At first, children were “invisible victims” Scarce resources had to be used for
survival & “the basics” Premise that helping the mother will
help the child Often true, but sometimes not
Desire to respect women’s autonomy Services more often serve kids in
shelter, not those in the community
Children & DV Agencies, cont. 50% of shelter residents are children &
80% of adults are accompanied by a child Advocates noticed children’s suffering &
unmet needs Most DV agencies now have some type of
children’s program: In 1980, 43% had some type of children’s
service, mostly child careBy 1997, 72.4% offered children’s services
Barriers to Working with Children Relocations due to safety or financial
concerns Inability to contact, lack of follow through
Concrete obstacles Transportation, scheduling, child care, payment
Violence-related stress of parents Children with severe difficulties may be
inappropriate for a group Lack of specialized services
Potential Parent Dynamics Inaccurate perception of child’s needs Trauma avoidance (not want to think or
talk about it) Concerns re. confidentiality May seek help for child first Abuser may interfere with child’s
therapy To prevent disclosures, keep children more easily manipulated & intimidated
Overcoming Barriers Flexibility in scheduling, sliding scale for
fees, transportation assistance Clear and repeated marketing about
programs, so parents understand target population, content & goals
Assist parents in assessing whether their children need services
Address parents’ feelings about effects of DV on their children
Questions for Parents What concerns, if any, do you have about
your children spending time with their father? Has your partner ever threatened to take the
kids away or interfere with custody/visitation? Has your partner ever threatened to or
actually hurt your children? Where are the children during DV incidents?
How do they react? Do you have any concerns about how your
children are doing? Have you seen any significant changes in your child?
Assessing Child-Related Needs Child care, early childhood education,
evaluation re. special needs Trauma-focused therapy Respite care A well-deserved break! After school / recreational programs Financial resources, inc. child support Health issues
Preventive care, dental care, insurance
Supporting Women’s Parenting Primary caregiver should be involved throughout intervention process
Can work with mothers to: Talk with their children about DV Safety plan for the family Understand children’s trauma & impact of
DV on parent-child relationship Help their children copeAccess community resources
Questions for Kids Arguments & disagreements happen in all
families. What happens in your family when adults disagree?
What do you do when your parents fight? Do you ever see/hear fighting, or people in
your family hurting each other? Are you ever afraid that your mom or dad will
get hurt, or that you will get hurt? What was the worst fight you ever saw? Does anyone at home hit or hurt you, or touch
you in a way that makes you uncomfortable?
Important Messages for Kids
“It’s not your fault” “Violence and abuse are adults’
responsibility, not kids’” “We will do everything we can to keep
you safe” “I believe you” “No one deserves to be abused” “This is a safe place to talk”
Safety Planning with Children Ages 3 and up; on their own, or w/ parent Main goal is empowerment
Validating kids’ experiences & the ways they’ve protected themselves
Information Increased sense of control, decreased anxiety
Can incorporate psychoed re. DV Meet with parent first to gather info: Child’s
needs & abilities, risks from abuser, mother’s safety plan, safe people & places
Safety Planning, cont. Plan should be simple, realistic & age-
appropriate Assist child in identifying:
Particular dangers & fears Corresponding safety strategies
Ask child to ID safe people/places inside & outside home, combine with parent’s list
Discuss possible scenarios and how to utilize safety plan
Safety Planning, cont. Child can draw a picture of safe space,
decorate safety plan, share it w/ parent Role play
Calling 911Using safety strategies
Important message: There’s no such thing as a “foolproof” safety plan. If someone gets hurt, it’s the abuser’s responsibility, not the child’s.
DV Agency Supports for Kids Separate intake process & shelter
orientation for children Pamphlets, books & videos for parents
and children about DV Recreational activities for kids, for moms &
kids together Partnerships with health care providers,
developmental specialists, mental health providers, legal services
Tutoring & educational support
DV Agency Supports, cont. Parenting classes and/or support groups
for mothers Therapeutic child care Designating a child advocate Development of standards for staff who
work with children Training & support for all staff Evaluation of programs for children
Collaboration with Child Welfare Historic barriers Mistrust; different
priorities, mandates & funding Advocates have a lot to offer:
Understanding of DV & families’ needsExpanding repertoire of service & safety
options Focusing attention on offender
accountability Work to develop shared mission &
guiding principles for practice
Models for Collaboration DV consultants located in CPS for case
consultation, accompaniment on home visits & immediate service provision
Cross-training & shadowing Development of protocols for screening,
referrals, reporting & information-sharing DV advocates in Family Court Joint representation on DV Coalitions,
child & adult fatality review teams
Mandatory Reporting & DV
Law varies by state Advise parent up front of restrictions on confidentiality
If a report must be made, offer the option of client making the call with your support
Educate clients about the role of CPS & their response
Advocate for the family with CPS
In the Community… Community education/outreach on
children’s issues DV prevention work Participating in/creating a children’s
committee as part of DV Coalition Support BPs in incorporating material on
children & parenting into their curricula Assist supervised visitation programs in
being safe & responsive to DV
Questions?
Thank you!
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