Children & Young People’s Experiences of Domestic Abuse

Domestic abuse can have a profound effect on children and young people that goes beyond witnessing abuse. This session explores how children and young people are exposed to and experience domestic abuse, how this can impact on all areas of their lives and the coping strategies they may employ.

This session also highlights how abuse can continue to be experienced by children and young people post-separation, demonstrating the importance that any contact is safe contact and does not become a means for the continuation of abuse to the children and/or non abusing parent, usually the mother.  The session will also highlight the importance of listening to children and young people and how difficult it can be for them to be heard and their views acted upon.

Learning outcomes:

• Identify how perpetrators abusive actions and negative parenting choices can impact on a child or young person’s educational and social experiences as well as their physical and emotional health and wellbeing.
• Describe how children and young people directly and indirectly experience domestic abuse and the coping strategies they can employ and the role of resilience.
• Build upon best and practice skills and approaches for working with children who have experienced domestic abuse.

Trainer: Judy is the National Training Coordinator at Scottish Women’s Aid, a certified Safe & Together Trainer and a qualified IDAA Judy spent nearly 10 years working in a specialist domestic abuse service and 5 years serving on the board of Scottish Women’s Aid.  Judy works widely across a arrange of settings and is passionate about improving the understanding of, and response to anyone experiencing domestic abuse.