Failure to Protect or Protective Factors?

For advocates working with children disclosing abuse, it is important to align with caregivers to effectively advocate and amplify their voices during the investigation and healing process. Knowing that domestic abuse co-occurs at a substantially high rate alongside child abuse magnifies an advocate’s ability to engage caregivers to advocacy. In this session, participants will learn the barriers that victims of domestic violence face in leaving an abusive relationship, specifically when children are involved, and how system intervention may inadvertently create additional barriers. Additionally, the presenter will discuss barriers that children face to disclosing their own victimization when family violence is present in the home. We will examine protective factors that supportive caregivers have put in place to keep their children and themselves safe as well as how systems and advocates can best support families experiencing these types of victimization utilizing a multi-disciplinary approach.