NCJ Number
206640
Journal
Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 18 Issue: 4 Dated: April 2003 Pages: 377-389
Editor(s)
Jon R. Conte
Date Published
April 2004
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This article examines the co-occurrence of domestic violence and child maltreatment, the impact of domestic violence on children, the application of knowledge from research and practice on child interviewing to children in domestic violence situations, and interviewing strategies and techniques.
Abstract
Research has documented the comorbidity or co-occurrence of child maltreatment and domestic violence and the detrimental impact of exposure to domestic violence on children. In addition, domestic violence and child interviewing share the distinction of being contested social issues. Interviewing children about possible domestic violence may be a strategy to insure both a child’s safety and the victim of domestic violence. Typically, the victim of domestic violence will not disclose because of a variety of dynamics associated with the domestic violence and children usually do not seek help for domestic violence on their own. So, there may be a need for specific inquiry to uncover domestic violence and associated traumas. This article begins by highlighting the high comorbidity of domestic violence and child maltreatment then describes briefly the detrimental impact of domestic violence on children. It is argued that an appropriate area of inquiry for professionals who are assessing children and their problems is children’s exposure to domestic violence due to domestic violence, like child sexual abuse, is a contested issue. The article concludes with recommendations for applying research and practice knowledge which guides interviewing children about possible sexual abuse to the issue of domestic violence. References