TY  - SER
AU  - Pocock, Tania
AU  - Cram,Fiona
TI  - Children of battered women
PY  - 1996///
KW  - FVC
KW  - CHILDREN
KW  - DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
KW  - FAMILIES
KW  - LEGISLATION
KW  - NEGLECT
KW  - WOMEN
KW  - INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE
KW  - CHILD EXPOSURE TO VIOLENCE
KW  - CHILD ABUSE
N1  - This article is one of 8 in a special issue of this journal on domestic violence. The whole issue is available here: http://www.waikato.ac.nz/law/research/waikato_law_review/volume_4,_issue_1,_1996; Waikato Law Review 4(1) 1996
N2  - This article reviews the literature and research surrounding the risk factors associated with children witnessing domestic violence. The authors begin by discussing the trauma that children experience from witnessing domestic abuse and the subsequent social functioning-related consequences. Evidence from research to date suggests that children of battered women are more isolated from their social networks and have lower levels of 'social competence' that their peers. The authors discuss the risk of the 'intergenerational transmission' of violence when children are witness to domestic violence. The research findings support this notion as parents play a significant and influential role in their children's lives. Children witnessing violence are taught that violence can be used as a very powerful and effective means of control. The authors further discuss the behaviour and adjustment difficulties of children who witness abuse, noting that these children often are often more aggressive and disruptive that their peers. As throughout other parts of the article, findings from the authors' study of children living in Women's Refuge are presented to support this argument.     The authors address the issue of children who are 'direct', as well as 'indirect', victims of violence, making the link between intimate partner abuse and child abuse. At the time of this article, women abuse and child abuse have traditionally been examined in isolation. However, the authors highlight a number of trends that show the two to be inherently linked. Also discussed is the significance of mothers' health related factors, such as stress, and how this can increase the risk of emotional and behavioural problems in children due to the disruption in parental and family functioning. Further, the authors also raise the concern of women and children's vulnerability to abuse post-separation from their abusive partner. Even after separation, men can still control their ex-partners, often using the children as a target and exploiting their custody and access privileges. The article concludes by briefly discussing legislation and the reasoning for supervised access. The authors make suggestions for legislation to work in the best interests of the child, and caution that in relation to supervised access, children's psychological safety is as imperative as their physical safety
UR  - http://www.waikato.ac.nz/law/research/waikato_law_review/volume_4,_issue_1,_1996
ER  -