Domestic violence in the child protection system: Seeing double

Abstract

As we recognize the child welfare implications of domestic violence, complex issues of practice and policy result. Training child protective workers on domestic violence is a necessary but insufficient response. We are at an early point in our learning about the dynamics of family violence seen as both a child welfare and a woman's issue. Best practice for families where children and women are both at risk benefits from “seeing double,” drawing from the knowledge, and values of both a child protective and a women's advocacy perspective. To this end, on-going collaborative relationships with the opportunity for case-specific consultation are important. This paper draws on experience with the Domestic Violence Unit of the Massachusetts Department of Social Services to illustrate issues that arise as we work toward child protective practices that attend to the rights and safety of children and their nonabusive parent.