The Impact of Domestic Violence on the

Development of Children

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Presenters

• Elizabeth Hackett, Ph.D., Coordinator of the Great Start Collaborative at Genesee ISD

• June Hall, MSW, Supervisor, Child and Family Services, Genesee Health System

• Ann Kita, MA, Service Coordinator and Crisis Counselor, YWCA of Greater Flint

The Great Start System Perspective

Child Development in the context of the family and community

What We Know 1 in 4

(25%) U.S. women

and

(CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, February 2008; Silverman et al, 2001)

1 in 5(20%) U.S. teen girls report ever experiencing physical and/or sexual partner violence

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Domestic violence cuts across all races, ethnicities, religions, sexual orientation, age groups, and socioeconomic levels

• Every culture has elements that condone domestic violence…

• and elements that resist it

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Impact of Domestic Violence on Perinatal Health Outcomes

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Women Who Experience Abuse Around the Time of Pregnancy Are More Likely to:

• Smoke tobacco• Drink during pregnancy • Use drugs • Experience depression, higher stress,

and lower self-esteem • Attempt suicide • Receive less emotional support from

partners

(Amaro, 1990; Bailey & Daugherty, 2007; Berenson et al, 1994; Campbell et al, 1992; Curry, 1998; Martin et al, 2006; Martin et al, 2003; Martin et al, 1998; McFarlane et al, 1996; Perham-Hester & Gessner, 1997)

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Among teen mothers on public assistance who experienced recent domestic violence:• 66% experienced birth control

sabotage by a dating partner

• 34% reported work or school-related sabotage by a dating partner

Teen Birth Control Sabotage

(Raphael, 2005)

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Domestic Violence is Predictive of Child Abuse

• Domestic violence during the first 6 months of a child’s life was predictive of child abuse up to the child’s fifth birthday among home-visited families

• Domestic violence preceded child abuse in 78% of the cases where domestic violence and child abuse were co-occurring in families

(McGuigan et al, 2001)

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Women Who Talked to Their Health Care Provider About the Abuse Were

4 times more likely to use an intervention

2.6 times more likely to exit the abusive relationship

(McClosky et al. 2006)

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DVD andDiscussion •15-minute DVD

•For parents and caregivers•Describes impact of DV on children• Available at no cost from Futures

Without Violence(In English and Spanish)

www.futureswithoutviolence.org

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ywca of greater flintdomestic violence & sexual assault services

eliminating racism empowering women

YWCA

Statistics• 90% of victims of Domestic Violence are women• 10% of victims of domestic violence are men• Every 9 seconds in the U.S. a woman is assaulted or

beaten• 1 out of 3 women will be victims of Domestic

Violence• Domestic Violence is the leading cause of injury to

women- more than car accidents, muggings and rapes- COMBINED!

Statistics continued

• Domestic Violence victims lose nearly 8 million days of paid work PER year in the U.S. alone = lose of 32,000 full time jobs

• The cost of intimate partner violence in the U.S. exceeds $5.8 billion per year; $4.1 billion are for direct medical and health care services.

crisis line and emergency response

Operates 24 hours 365 days per year

Trained staff to answer questions, provide information & referrals, assist survivors & begin the intake process for SafeHouse.

crisis line and emergency response

ERT: Emergency Response TeamTrained staff available to meet with survivors

at the three local hospital and police stationsTrained staff provided emotional support

during medical exams, explain evidence collection and criminal justice processes & explain YWCA – DVSA services.

FREE OF CHARGE AND CONFINDENTIAL!

services for survivorsLegal Advocacy

Information about the criminal justice systemAssistance in applying for Crime Victims CompensationAssistance with Personal Protection OrdersDivorce ClinicCourt Support

SafeHouse Emergency ShelterCrisis Counseling & Support Groups

Domestic Violence Support GroupsSexual Assault Support Group

Assisting with safety planning, community resources, education regarding the dynamics of domestic violence & sexual assaultIndividual counseling available for SECONDARY victimsIndividual counseling available for male victims

Domestic Violence Intervention Program

Designed to help batterers learn alternative methods of communication in relationships.

26 week course with separate sessions available for men & women.

Participants of this program pay a fee.

What is Domestic Violence?Instrumental, strategic & purposeful behavior designed to bring about an

outcome.

Mental Health Treatment for Children

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Mothers who experience domestic violence around the time of pregnancy have lower maternal attachmentwith their infants

(Quinlivan & Evans, 2005)

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Domestic Violence (DV) and Parenting Skills

• Mothers who experienced DV were more likely to have maternal depressive symptoms and report harsher parenting

• Mothers’ depression and harsh parenting were directly associated with children’s behavioral problems

(Dubowitz et al, 2001)

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What is Infant Mental Health?

This refers to an infant’s ability to experience emotions, develop relationships and learn. They learn about themselves and the world around them through the relationships they have with people in their lives.

When a parent is highly stressed or has issues that interfere with their ability to attend to the emotional needs of their child it can negatively impact the infant or young child’s emotional development.

Warning signs in Children• Excessive fearfulness Excessive

fussiness• Sleeping problems Feeding problems• Failure to thrive Aggressive

behaviors• Defiant behaviors Impulsive and

hyperactive • Unusually quiet

Withdrawal, extreme sadness

• Excessive clinging Dependent behaviors

• No response to consequences or overly compliant with requests,

• Long and frequent tantrums• Interference with normal developmental tasks.

Infant Mental Health Treatment

Treatment is focused on the relationship between the parent and child.

Encourages increased sensitivity to the cues of the infant/young child

Helps parent resolve issues that interfere with meeting their child’s emotional needs.

Safety Card on Domestic Violence and Safety Planning

How to access more materials and training

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Questions?

Thank You!

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