A thesis submitted for the degree of Master of Consumer & Applied Sciences at the University of Otago. Available for loan from Otago Universiy Library.

This thesis presents a qualitative research project that explores children's subjective experiences of family violence and identifies any ameliorating factors that helped children to cope. The research is placed within the context of the sociology of childhood paradigm where children are viewed as social actors in their own right. The study involved two small groups of children, aged between 5 and 12 years, who had lived with family violence. The study utilised a variety of methods, namely focus group discussions, one-on-one interviews, sentence completion tasks, and children's artwork. All of the children had participated in and completed the 10-week Family Violence Education Programme, run by the two Women's Refuges in Dunedin. The results are presented in themes; however, the key theme of violence is central to the lives of the children, and underpins many, if not all aspects of their young lives. The study findings show that children are able to participate in research on topics that are highly sensitive and personal, and the author highlights coping strategies developed and used by children living with violence. The research concludes with recommendations for future research, as well as for policy development and professional practice in work with children living with family violence.--AUTHOR'S ABSTRACT

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