ABSTRACT
Chapter 6 focuses on the burden that domestic and family violence (DFV) places on children. Substantial research has been dedicated to generating a better understanding of children’s experiences in the context of DFV. While initially often conceptualised as witnesses, contemporary research, policy, and practice approaches increasingly understand children growing up in households marked by DFV as victims directly affected by exposure to parental violence. This changing perspective reflects a growing understanding and acknowledgement of the detrimental impact of DFV on children, including where children are not a direct target of parental abuse. Such an understanding offers room for child-centred interventions while at the same time raises implications around parental vulnerabilities, responsibilities, and support needs. This chapter investigates the context in which children’s experiences of DFV are defined and understood along with the implications arising for interventions, especially with regards to child welfare. It discusses the risks associated with short- and long-term outcomes around children’s safety, wellbeing, and recovery. The chapter concludes with the role of child-centred safety planning and the implications this raises for practitioners responding to children and the non-abusive parent.
