عملکرد رفاهی کودکان و سیاست های مربوط به تاثیر از کودکان با تجربه قربانی شدن خشونت فیزیکی و خشونت خانگی

The impact of family violence on children seen in a children's aid society was investigated. Three groups of maltreated children were investigated: those exposed to domestic violence against women, physically abused, and children who experienced both. Child outcomes reflected behavioral and school-related problems, delinquency, and elevation in overall risk. There was considerable variability on the effects of exposure to children. Children exposed to domestic violence against women and children who were physically abused did not differ on a variety of child outcomes. Children experiencing the combined effects of physical maltreatment and exposure to domestic violence experienced the poorest adjustment reflected in grade repetition, involvement in delinquency, and on overall risk compared to physically abused or children exposed to domestic violence against women alone. Implications for child welfare practice and policy are discussed.

Child protection services in Canada have experienced dramatic increases in referrals and admission to care over the past decade. (Trocmé et al., 2001). Ontario, Canada's largest provincial jurisdiction governing child protection services, doubled their funding commitment to child welfare between 1998 and 2004 to support children's aid societies, from 400 million to 1.2 billion dollars over this six-year period. An increased awareness of childhood trauma resulting from the exposure to violence within the parental home has been identified as one major factor related to this increase (Trocmé, Fallon, MacLaurin, & Copp, 2002). However, as indicated by several authors (Edelsen, 2004 and Magan et al., 2000), there is considerable debate regarding the practice of admitting to care children who experience exposure to violence without being vulnerable to direct physical maltreatment. The purpose of this study was to explore a variety of child outcomes related to family violence within a sample of children seen in one large urban child welfare agency in order to more fully appreciate the needs of children who experience exposure to domestic violence and are referred to a child welfare agency.