Families in Court for Child Protection and Domestic Violence

• NCJ Number: 208907
• Journal: Children, Families, and the Courts: Ohio Bulletin Volume: 1 Issue: 2 Dated: Summer 2003 Pages: 1-12
• Author(s): Hunter Hurst Jr.
• Date Published: 2003
• Length: 12 pages
• Publication Format: Document (Online)
• Publication Type: Legislation/Policy Description; Legislation/Policy Analysis
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Downloaded March 1, 2005.

Annotation

This bulletin provides an overview for change in Ohio's systems for addressing domestic violence and child protection, as it presents the themes of the publication, "Effective Intervention in Domestic Violence & Child Maltreatment Cases: Guidelines for Policy and Practice," nicknamed the "Greenbook."

Abstract

The Greenbook was published by the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges in 1998. It opens with evidence of the need to coordinate systems, given the co-occurrence of domestic violence and child maltreatment and the negative impact on children exposed to domestic violence. The Greenbook then develops its guiding principle, which is the forging of collaborations that protect children by holding the perpetrator of domestic violence accountable for violent behavior and helping the adult victim find the ongoing support needed to protect herself and her children. Such collaborations involve cooperation and coordination of all community agencies and institutions, both public and private, that have resources relevant to providing victims of family violence with protections from physical harm; adequate social and economic supports; and access to services that are respectful, culturally relevant, and responsive to the unique strengths and concerns of individual families. In addition to serving victims, collaborative efforts should also hold perpetrators of family violence accountable for their abusive behavior by providing a variety of legal interventions and social services that can stop violent behavior. Ohio, like most States, is in the early stages of a more coordinated response to child protection and domestic violence cases. At the State level, the Supreme Court and Department of Job and Family Services (DJFS) have shared funds to document the case overlap between child protection and domestic violence, and a collaboration between DJFS and the Ohio Domestic Violence Network has identified training issues for child protection workers. Counties are in the process of implementing Greenbook recommendations. 13 references