Children′s Perspectives on Domestic Violence

by Audrey Mullender, Gill Hague, Umme F Imam

This book examines children′s experiences and perspectives on living with domestic violence. It offers a detailed explanation of the impact on children living with domestic violence, how children make sense of and cope with their experiences, the response they receive from various agencies and the fit between what children feel they need and what in reality they receive. Drawing on the newest research both in the United Kingdom and internationally, the authors bring together current policy and practice in relation to children living with abuse and offer a critique from the perspective of children′s voices.

Genres: Psychology

258 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing, comprehensive book about a research study on children's perspectives on domestic violence. The first part of the study surveys the general population of children taken from primary and secondary schools, and the second part of the study interviews women and children in refuges who have escaped domestic violence. The study was thoughtfully designed to take into consideration children's perspectives throughout the whole process, including in the research design.

The first part of the book on the general survey was harder to get through because of the nature of the data. The second part of the book on the interviews was a lot more personal and therefore quicker to go through, and covers important chapters such as:

1. Barriers of Racism, Ethnicity and Culture
2. The Influence of Domestic Violence on Relationships between Children and Their Mothers
3. Life with a Violent Father
4. Listening to the Children: The Way Ahead (comprehensive policy suggestions at all levels)

The book also includes a lovely appendix: Children's Advice to Other Children about Coping with Domestic Violence