Mullender, Audrey. Children living with domestic violence. Adoption and Fostering, 20/1, Spring 1996, 8-15
Until very recently social work and other child care agencies have paid very little attention to the impact of domestic violence on children. The author argues the need for a radical improvement in agencies’ response to domestic violence, based on a raising of sensitivity and awareness at worker and agency level. Among areas suggested for development are an emphasis on safety planning, better links with women’s organisations and child protection agencies, and healing work with survivors.

Stanley, Nicky. Domestic violence and child abuse: developing social work practice. Child and family social work, 2/3, August 1997, 135-45.
This paper takes as its starting point the report produced by the Social Services Inspectorate (1995), entitled Domestic Violence and Social Care, which seeks to alert social workers to the links between domestic violence and child abuse and urges the profession to respond more effectively to these two interconnected forms of violence. Having examined the research findings which provide evidence for these links, the theoretical and service delivery contexts in which these two forms of violence have been studied and conceptualized by the social work
profession, both in the United Kingdom and in the United States, are identified. Studies of the social work response to domestic violence are discussed and some of the difficulties experienced by social workers in responding effectively to the needs of families where both forms of violence are experienced are considered. In particular, the issues of 'invisible' men and 'trapped' women and children are explored. It is argued that effective social work intervention which challenges these stereotypes will require additional resources and the article concludes with a consideration of whether the Messages from Research report might herald a shift in the approach to child protection that would promote the allocation of resources to this area of work.

Carlisle, Daloni. Playing safely from home. Community Care, 1197, 6-12 Nov 1997, 18-9
It is often that the children of women who have escaped domestic violence have needs as well, especially when the family ends up in a mainstream hostel. report on gradual improvements in practice with these children.

Featherstone, Brid; Trindert, Liz. Familiar subjects? Domestic violence and child welfare. Child and family social work, 2/3, August 1997, 147-59
Historically, domestic violence and child welfare have been seen as largely separate concerns. Over the last decade domestic violence has finally gained a place on social work agendas, partly as a result of linking domestic violence with child protection issues. Whilst welcoming the extent to which domestic violence is being taken seriously, we raise concerns about the dominant feminist perspectives guiding this project. We argue that current feminist theory is based on fixed and essentialist gender and generational categories which are unhelpful in understanding the complexities of family situations and family processes. Instead we argue for the relevance of relational understandings of gender, power and violence developed from feminist post- structuralist and psychoanalytic theorists. In doing so, we challenge accepted feminist understandings of domestic violence, and question the basis upon which dominant feminist approaches claim an inviolable alliance between the interests of women and children.

Mullender, Audrey; Debbonaire, Thangam; Hague, Gill; Kelly, Liz ; Malos, Ellen. Working with children in women's refuges Child and family social work, 3/2 (1998), 87-98
At a time when there is increasing interest amongst child care professionals in how to respond to children living with domestic violence, this paper derives from a study of a specialist context for such work: child work in women's refuges. The qualitative aspect of the research, which is reported on here, consisted of in-depth visits to eight refuges. Group and individual interviews with children, women and workers covered the needs (and also the strengths) presented by a wide range of children, and the scope of work undertaken with them and their mothers. A child-centred and non-violent ethos was found to be offering high levels of support to children and young people, despite low levels of resourcing. Certain groups were identified as still requiring developments in particular responses to their needs. Greater recognition of refuge child work is called for from statutory agencies, including those with access to funding.

Hague, G. & Malos, E. Inter-agency Approaches to Domestic violence and the Role of Social Services. British Journal of Social Work (1998) 28/3, 369-386
The development of inter-agency initiatives as a response to domestic violence is currently enjoying widespread popularity, and was the subject of a Home Office Circular in 1995 encouraging this approach as one of the principal planks of government domestic violence policy. The Domestic Violence Research Group in the School for Policy Studies at the University of Bristol has completed a national study of inter-agency approaches to domestic violence, supported by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, and this paper explores some of the themes identified in the research and the relevance of multi-agency domestic violence initiatives to social workers. Social services departments and voluntary sector social work agencies have a key role to play within inter-agency work of this type. The research indicates, however, that, while some social workers are active within inter-agency domestic violence forums, social services could often take a more active role with firm commitment from management. It could be suggested that social services organizations cannot afford to be absent as the new policy direction offered by inter-agency initiatives continues to grow in the future, which looks almost certain to happen. Some of the areas explored in the paper are: power differentials between member agencies; the participation (and sometimes the marginalization) of Women's Aid and the refuge movement within multi-agency work; equalities issues; and the involvement in inter-agency projects of women and children who have experienced domestic violence.

Yeo, Soo See. Legislated Residential treatment of Chronically Disturbed Runaways— A Contentious Approach. Child Abuse Review Vol. 7 (1998), 230-240
Those children involved with the Department of Community Services in New South Wales have a history of childhood abuse, neglect, domestic violence and seriously dysfunctional family dynamics. This has resulted in the children developing inappropriate strategies to cope with their adverse environment by physically acting out, in such ways as destroying properties, stealing, lying, fire-setting and chronic running away, and/or internalizing conflicts by self-mutilating behaviours. The critical ages are the pre-puberty and adolescent children, who engage in a pattern of running away and are at high risk of further exploitation by others. In New South Wales, the Children (Care & Protection) Act 1987 is the primary legislation which sets out the role of the state in the care and protection of children and young persons. However, this Act makes no provision for the physical containment of severely emotionally disturbed children to enable their access to the services they need. This paper attempts to identity the special needs of these children, who do not fit any diagnostic category, and proposes legislative changes to physically contain them in a therapeutic residential centre in order for them to access special protection and care services which would create the opportunity for long-lasting positive life experiences.

Input
Please use the INPUT facility to suggest any other material which you feel is useful to this subject area.