Addressing Domestic Violence in Child Welfare Practice

Unit Four: Intervention

 After reviewing this unit, students will be able to:

• Understand the importance of collaboration with domestic violence programs
• Develop safety plans with adult victims
• Identify options for child protection
• Refer family members to appropriate resources and services

It is essential that child welfare professionals collaborate with domestic violence programs in order to provide effective services to families. Historically, child welfare professionals and battered women’s advocates have found themselves in conflict because of differences in philosophy, training and roles. Domestic violence advocates have viewed child welfare professionals as unfairly penalizing woman by removing children from their care for failure to protect. On the other hand, child welfare professionals sometimes view advocates for battered women as ignoring the needs of children. Effective intervention strategies that protect children, but which do not penalize battered women, are still in developmental stages. Initiatives such as the Greenbook project are striving to promote collaborative community strategies.

Subunits

• Safety Planning
• Child Protection Intervention
• Resources for Battered Women and their Children
• Resources for Abusive Partners

Safety Planning

When domestic violence is identified during the screening and assessment process, the child welfare professional should engage in safety planning with the adult victim to protect herself and her children. The initial focus should be on addressing safety concerns and providing information about domestic violence resources. It is important to help the woman prepare for situations that she may face whether she plans to stay, leave or has already separated from her abusive partner. Hart and Stueling (1992) have suggest guidelines for developing a personalized safety plan.

Some areas to address include:

• Preparing in advance for steps to take in the event of a violent incident
• Maximizing safety at home, at the job and in the public
• Obtaining protection orders/ restraining orders
• Locating resources for transportation, shelter and support
• Securing financial and legal documents
• Teaching children emergency response strategies

Orders for Protection can exclude the abusive partner from the home, award the adult victim temporary child custody, address financial issues and/or order the abuser to counseling. However, not all abusive partners comply with these orders and they can be difficult to enforce. A good resource for information about protection orders in Minnesota is WomensLaw.org. The best way in most communities to obtain an order for protection, is to work with the local battered women ’s advocacy program (see Safe Haven in Duluth, MN), which can also refer her to resources for shelter, legal advocacy and support groups.

Many women find that calling the police is helpful in securing their immediate safety at the time of an assault or when one is threatened. Most communities have preferred or mandatory arrest policies that require police to arrest in situations when there is evidence that domestic violence has occurred. More recently, some communities have adopted primary aggressor policies because of the increasing number of dual arrests. Dual arrests occur when the police suspect that mutual violence has occurred. However, this can result in adult victims being arrested who have used violence as self-defense. In Minnesota, domestic violence incidents are usually charged as fifth degree assaults. Jail time, other than an overnight stay at the time of the incident, is not common. Frequently offenders are place on probation and ordered to attend batterer intervention groups, complete chemical dependency evaluations, do community service work and/or pay fines.

Child Protection Intervention

According to recommendations developed by the DHHS Office for Child Abuse and Neglect, “CPS caseworkers should make diligent efforts to help victims protect their children before coercive measures, such as substantiation or protective custody, are considered. “ (p,.48). Removing children from their homes can be traumatic for both the children and the adult victim. Consultation with supervisors and coordination of interventions with law enforcement and domestic violence service providers can help insure that all options are pursued. See Unit Three for more information about child protection decision making.

Child welfare professionals should seek to form a supportive relationship with the adult victim and assist her in exploring the options available. Concerns regarding the children should be expressed to the adult victim in a firm, but non-threatening manner. Options for intervention suggested by the Minnesota guidelines include:

• Using out-of-home care to protect children/adolescents when safety planning with adult victims and/or criminal intervention with abusive partners does not provide for the children ’s/ adolescent s’ safety
• Addressing identified child maltreatment concerns related to adult victims’ behavior with appropriate interventions, recognizing the effects of domestic violence on adult victims’ parenting
• Thoroughly documenting all reports of abusive and controlling behavior
• Supporting legal/criminal actions that hold abusive partners accountable
• Supporting orders in family court that make detailed findings explaining how a custody or visitation award is consistent with the well-being and physical safety of children
• Considering a petition alleging abusive partners are contributing to the need for protection status of children and non-abusive parents (Minnesota Statute 260C.335)

Resources for Battered Women and their Children

Planning to address safety in the longer terms involves identifying areas that put the woman and her children at risk for domestic violence. Addressing factors such as the availability of safe housing, adequate income, health care services and social support can increase the families’ safety over the long term. Consider referrals to the following services:

• Shelter/ Safe homes/ Transitional housing
• Support groups
• Advocacy Services
• Mental Health Services
• Substance Abuse Services
• Visitation Centers
• Legal Aid
• Financial Assistance

Domestic violence advocates can be helpful in recommending appropriate services. Not all service providers are sensitive to the issues facing women who have been abused. When appropriate, seek out culturally appropriate services that are geared to meeting the needs of women of color (e.g. Mending the Sacred Hoop, Casa de Esperanza).

Child visitation centers can provide safe and neutral settings so that women can limit their contacts with abusive partners. These settings can provide a child friendly space for visiting to occur or serve as a drop off and pick up location. They may also offer parenting classes specifically designed to address the challenges facing families that have experienced domestic violence. Many shelters have child advocates who facilitate groups for children to help them cope with the effects of domestic violence. These groups may also be offered at counseling agencies in the community.

Resources for Abusive Partners

Minnesota guidelines recommend creating a separate child protection case plan addressing the abusive partner’s behavior. Men involved with the civil or criminal courts may be court ordered to attend batterer intervention programs (e.g., Emerge), which may focus on anger management and/or sexist attitudes that promote the use of violence against women to maintain power and control. Men may also choose to enter these programs voluntarily. These programs are generally considered to be only moderately successful. For a review of the literature on the effectiveness of batterer intervention programs see Bennett and Oliver (2001).

Assessment and treatment for substance abuse may be also appropriate, although not sufficient for addressing domestic violence. Parenting programs are appropriate for men who are motivated to improve their parenting skills. Programs for fathers offered at child visitation centers or other settings that incorporate materials relating to domestic violence are the most helpful.

Couples counseling and mediation services can place women at risk unless the domestic violence has been addressed and stopped. Consistently holding batterers accountable for their behavior is important. While some men are amenable to change, many are not. Enrolling in treatment programs does not mean that coercive behaviors will cease. Ongoing monitoring is important if the abusive partner continues to play an active parenting role.