NCJ Number
230429
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 34 Issue: 3 Dated: March 2010 Pages: 172-182
Date Published
March 2010
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This study evaluated the frequency, methods, and practices of assessments for domestic violence in the setting of the child advocacy center.
Abstract
Many child advocacy center (CAC) directors are not aware of current domestic violence recommendations and do not require annual domestic violence training for staff. Less than one-third of CACs practice universal assessments and those that do often conduct domestic violence assessments with methods and environments shown to be less comforting for the patient and less effective in victim identification. CACs stress coordination of investigation and intervention services by bringing together professionals and agencies as a multidisciplinary team to create a child-focused approach to child maltreatment cases. In addition, CACs provide care for families with many of the risk factors for co-occurrence of domestic violence and various forms of child maltreatment, and because of this universal assessments for domestic violence seem appropriate and the standard of care in the CAC setting. This study hypothesized that the majority of CACs are not conducting universal assessments for domestic violence. The study was designed to identify the frequency, methods, and practices in assessments for domestic violence within CACs and to determine what factors are associated with CACs that conduct domestic violence assessments. A survey was developed and distributed to executive directors of accredited and accreditation-eligible CACs. Tables, references, and appendix