A Training Imperative
W e now know that many women experience domestic violence and that if a woman is being abused there is a high probability that her children may also be abused. Children often witness violence in the home and are signiยฎcantly aected by it. The parenting capacity of women who are intimidated and abused by their partners can be seriously impaired, and as a result they may be unable to meet their children's basic needs. The 1990s have seen a growing awareness of domestic violence and its impact on women, thanks largely to the work of Women's Aid.
That domestic violence is also a child protection issue has been relatively slow in gaining professional acceptance, in spite of numerous inquiries, Part 8 reviews and research ยฎndings that have highlighted the links. The Farmer and Owen (1995) study Child Protection Practice: Private Risks and Public Remedies found that in three out of ยฎve cases where children had suered physical abuse, neglect or emotional abuse, the mothers were also subject to violence from their male partners. Domestic violence was a feature of most of the cases with the worst outcomes and, most worrying of all, professionals were found to give little attention to the fact that children were witnessing and living with high levels of violence. There is also growing research evidence emerging from a forthcoming study by Professor Skuse, Institute of Child Health, that boys who become abusers are highly likely to have been exposed to domestic violence in their early years.
We have to ask why it has taken so long for the impact of domestic violence on children to be widely recognized and why, when there is awareness, there still appears to be a reluctance to act.