Children & Young People’s Experience of Domestic Abuse

Experiencing Domestic Abuse impacts every domain of a child’s life. Perpetrators actions are detrimental to a child’s educational and social experiences as well as their physical health and wellbeing. Understanding the impact of the perpetrator’s behaviour and the experiences and needs of children must extend beyond the measure of ‘did the children hear it, did they see it?’.  We need to frame domestic abuse as a conscious parenting choice holding perpetrators responsible for the trauma and disruption they cause to children’s emotional and physical health and wellbeing.

This session explores how children and young people can experience domestic abuse, how this can impact on their lives and the coping strategies they can employ. The session highlights the importance of listening to children and young people and how difficult it can be for them to be heard.  This session also explores how the perpetrator can continue to exert power and control over children post separation and how this abuse can continue to be experienced by children and young people highlighting the need to ensure professionals and others understand the importance of ensuring any contact is safe, health and in the best interests of the child does not become a means for the continuation of abuse to the children and/or mother post separation.

Learning Outcomes

• Understand how children and young people experience domestic abuse
• Understand how perpetrators of domestic abuse behaviours and actions directly and indirectly impact children and young people
• Understand how experiencing domestic abuse can impact children’s relationships with friends, family and adults in their life
• Be aware of some of the signs children may be experiencing domestic abuse
• Understand the role of protective factors, who is supporting safety and who responsible for harm
• Consider how to apply the knowledge to their own work in supporting children and young people who have experienced domestic abuse

Facilitator: Judy Ferguson, SWA National Training Coordinator.

Judy has worked with Women’s Aid since 2011 and also worked with the Scotland SafeLives training team delivering the DA Matters Training Programme to 14,000 Police Scotland staff.  Judy regularly provides training and consultancy to a wide range of multi agency statutory and voluntary bodies including the COPFS, Police Scotland, Social Work, Law Society Scotland, Criminal Justice Workers, Heath, Housing and Violence Against Women & Girls Partnerships etc.  Judy has a wealth of experience informing her practice and a burning passion for working to end domestic abuse and violence against women in all its forms.

We can also offer tailor made, bespoke support with training needs analysis, training, policies and procedures and implementing new legislation. We are happy to build a package specifically relevant to your organisation and the needs of your team, building on the work of our domestic abuse specialist trainers across the country.  We are happy to deliver both virtually and face to face, and can accommodate any number of learners. Our training and inputs are fully interactive, engaging and will support your team with practical application of their learning journey with us. Please contact judy.ferguson@womensaid.scot Scottish Women’s Aid’s National Training Co-ordinator to discuss your requirements.