Failure to Protect or Protective Factors? Identifying and Responding to Protective Factors in the Co-Occurance of Domestic Violence and Child Abuse

For professionals working with children disclosing abuse, it is important to understand dynamics of domestic violence to be able to be a part of an effective investigation. Understanding that domestic abuse co-occurs at a substantially high rate alongside child abuse enhances child abuse professionals’ ability to do their jobs in a holistic way. 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 cause additional barriers. Additionally, the training will discuss barriers that children face to disclosing their own victimization in forensic interviews when family violence is present in the home. Trainees will examine protective factors that supportive caregivers have put in place to keep their children and themselves safe, as well as how systems professionals can best support families experiencing these types of victimization utilizing a multidisciplinary team approach.