Child witnesses of DV -Reply

[Michael Ryan <MichaeR2@xxxxxxxxxx>]

** Confidential **

The NSW Department of Health has brougth outa policy and procedure
manual for staff re child abuse and neglect. In the  document there is a
section on Children witnessing Domestic violence. It states that when
childrenare referred for witnessing DV a detailed assessment will be
made to ascertain the nature and extent of the violence they have
witnessed and whether there were occassions when the child or sibling
were abused as a result of the DV.This assessment is to be jointly
undertaken by the police and Community services Deopartment.

Counselling will focus on the impact of  of the dV on the children. Their
safety is paramount...
Reports documenting the children's concerns will need to be provided to
the Children's Court and Family Law Court. Referral for legal intervention
to police is essentialand should include application for an apprehended
violence order and if appropriate bail conditions which restrict access to
the children.

Michael Ryan
Sydney Australia


>>> David Finkelhor <David.Finkelhor@unh.edu> 19/November/1997
04:26am >>>

	There has been some recent debate about the issue of child
protection investigations triggered when police or other service
providers
trying to assist battered women recognize that their children have been
exposed to domestic violence. Does anyone know of any communities or
groups that have developed protocols for trying to specify conditions
under which child protective reports might be warranted or guidelines for
police, shelter workers and others who work with wife abuse victims?
Do
anyone know of any research going on on this topic?  

David Finkelhor
Family Research Lab
University of New Hampshire
Durham, NH 03824

davidf@christa.unh.edu (or)
david.finkelhor@unh.edu


(603) 862-2761

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