Children, Young People and Domestic Violence

• NCJ Number: 186892
• Author(s): Lesley Laing Dr.
• Date Published: 2000
• Length: 28 pages
• Sale Source: Australian Domestic and Family Violence Clearinghouse
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: Australia
• Note: This paper was produced by the Australian Domestic and Family Violence Clearinghouse, Issue Paper 2

Annotation

This paper explores the issue of children, young people, and domestic violence.

Abstract

This paper comprises five sections. The introduction describes the ways in which children and young people experience domestic violence and outlines the available data on the prevalence of the issue in the lives of Australian children and young people. The second section, impact on children and young people, provides an overview of research about the impact on children and young people, and discusses frameworks within which these impacts are being understood. Section three describes efforts to improve ways of working with children and young people in counseling, support, and prevention, emphasizing Australian initiatives. Section four argues that the problems documented cannot be addressed solely through counseling, and that a multi-system response is required. The Child Protection and Family Law systems are discussed as examples of two such systems. The final section of the paper identifies current challenges posed by the growing knowledge about children, young people, and domestic violence. It is clear that children and young people are not merely passive onlookers in families where there is domestic violence, but they are actively involved in seeking to make meaning of their experiences and dealing with the difficult and terrifying situation that confronts them. Research evidence confirms that living with domestic violence can have a range of deleterious effects on many children and young people. References