What About Us?

Supporting Women whose Children Have Witnessed their Abuse

Overview

• Creating balance:– Mothers vs children?

• Activity: – What are the issues?

• Applying a feminist approach to cases with children

• Empowerment through consciousness raising:– Women’s rights

– Children’s rights

• A protective environment:– The current situation

– Moving forward

Balance:Mothers vs Children?• What are the issues for each?• Can balance be achieved and how?• Does “best interest of the child” interfere with a

mother’s rights?• How does a women’s centered approach apply

in cases with children?• How does our current system address these

issues?• What might future directions look like?

Activity:

Identifying and Balancing the Issues

Case Study:33 year old Irene and her children (aged 7 and 4) have been living in an apartment

she’s been renting for 6 months. Working long hours, Irene is barely managing to cover all the family’s expenses.

Irene separated from her husband after his verbal and emotional abuse that began during her 1st pregnancy escalated to physical violence. Despite his abuse of their mother, the children’s father retains visitation rights and the children stay with him at the family’s former home every other weekend.

The children happily relish the nights in their own bedrooms. Their father lavishes them with gifts and allows them to select their activities together. The children have begun nagging Irene, pleading to move home with daddy. Irene’s husband is also pressuring her during exchanges of the children. He is angry with her for breaking up the family and threatens to interfere with her employment if she does not come home. He has also begun to drive by her apartment on random evenings and has left threatening notes on her doorstep.

Irene fears for her children when they are alone with their father. She wonders what he might do if his anger over the separation grows. She is contemplating the idea of moving home, where she can monitor her husband’s mood and behaviour.

Feminism and Children:Beyond the False Dichotomy

• An incorporated approach.• It is possible to be woman-centered and child-focused.• “You can not begin to respond to one, without

supporting and understanding the other.” Baker & Dillon (2001), p3.

Mother’s RightsKey Documents:

• Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

• UN Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women.

• Family Services Act.• Child Victims of Abuse

and Neglect Protocols.

A Women has the Right to:

• Life, Liberty and security of person.• Freedom of movement and residence.• Marry and found a family and to have equal

rights in the event such a union is terminated.• Retain occupation, ownership and control of

joint property.• Express her wishes and have influence on

decisions with regard to the care of her child(ren).

Children’s RightsKey Documents:

• UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.• Universal Declaration of Human Rights• Family Services Act.• Child Victims of Abuse and Neglect Protocols.

Children have the Right to:

• Have their best interests respected.• Not be separated from their parents against their

will.• Maintain personal relations and contact with both

parents.• A protective environment.

Video clip:

protective environment

The Current Situation:

NB Child Protection – What to Expect

• 60% of reports lead to an investigation.• 85% of investigated cases result in the child

remaining in her/his home.• 15% of investigated cases result in children being

placed in care.• The goal for these 15% is to support the parent(s)

in regaining custody of their child(ren).

Types of Services Child Protection Cases are Referred to:

• Community based services.

• Services provided in the home.

Other Services (Outside of Child Protection):

• Legal advice.• Supervised visitation and safe exchange.• Others. . .

Moving Forward

Already In Motion:• Concurrent program for children who have

witnessed abuse and their mothers.• Outreach Workers.• Provincial Partnerships in Action.

Models for Inspiration

Veith House – Halifax, NS• Mission:

“A neighborhood house whose challenge is to meet the needs of children, individuals and families. We work primarily with

people living in poverty, with empowerment as an ever present goal.”

(http://www.veithhouse.ns.ca/about.htm)

• Principles of operation:– Respect, ethics, equity, co-operation, caring and affirmation.– Just distribution of power, rights, wealth, privilege &

responsibility.– Identification and reduction of barriers to accessibility.– Acknowledge & honour individual and collective diversity.– Effect change and support growth.

Services Available at Veith House:

• Advocacy, counseling & trustee services.• Supervised access with subsidized fees for low income.• In-home parenting program.• Fully subsidized preschool.• Parent & tot drop in.

• Community internet access.• Veith Street Gallery.

AARDVARC- Child Witness Program at the North Queensland Domestic Violence Resource Center

• Mission:

“The AARDVARC program is a supportive program for children and young people and their parent or

caregiver. It offers acknowledgement of experience of violence and an opportunity to talk and make sense of

their experience within a safe and supportive environment. Aardvarc involves a shared commitment between children, their parent/caregiver and workers

through work with individuals and groups.” (http://www.nqdvrs.org.au/Aardvarc%20for%20Parents.htm)

. . . AARDVARC• Principles:

– “A response to past practice that has isolated parent and child, ignored the insight of the parent , promoted mother-blaming and pathologised those who have lived as victims of violence”(Baker & Dillon, 2001).

– Including gender-based analysis of domestic violence in work with children who have witnessed their mother’s abuse results in effective solutions and avoids re-victimization

A - Acknowledgement

A - And

R - Recognition of

D - Domestic

V - Violence

A - And

R - Real

C - Change

Family Group Conferencing-New Zealand

• Origins:– Based on traditions of Maori aboriginal people.– Currently being applied in British Columbia and

Alberta.

• Process:– Family, extended family or other informal support

network brought together with case worker and any others with special information.

– Held anywhere child or young person and their support people feel comfortable.

– Case plan is determined by family.

Some Theoretical Approaches

• Handouts on:– Strengths perspectives– Emotion-focused therapy– Solution–focused therapy– Narrative therapy– Parent-child interaction

theory

Comments/Questions?

Thank You!