NCJ Number
187544
Date Published
1999
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This chapter considers the importance of cooperation between agencies involved in child-protection and domestic-violence services in Great Britain and outlines "good practice" in inter-agency child-protection work that relates to domestic violence.
Abstract
Domestic violence has also been clearly recognized as having an impact on children, certainly in the short term and possibly in the longer term, although this is less well researched. Jaffe and colleagues (1991) detailed possible distress, confusion, and stress for children who witness domestic violence. Many women coming into refuges report that their children were the reason they either stayed or left their partner, and in some cases why they returned to him. Some of the limitations of current child protection processes have been noted by women in Women's Aid (staff and residents) for some time. Case conferences and other formal or informal meetings where the abusive partner is present do not allow a woman to participate safely and usefully. The Women's Aid Federation of England has worked with child protection staff and Area Child Protection Committees throughout England in multi-agency efforts to address both the needs of children and women victimized by domestic violence. This chapter outlines some of the practices that have proven most effective in such inter-agency cooperation. 26 references