CHILD WITNESSES DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

ARE PARENTS GUILTY OF MALTREATMENT OR EMOTIONAL NEGLECT IF THE CHILD WITNESSES DOMESTIC VIOLENCE?

“Not according to Judge Weistein’s ruling and to the leading national experts.”

         During the trial several leading national experts testified on the impact on children of witnessing domestic violence, and the impact on children of being removed from the non-offending parent.  Views of Experts on Effects of Domestic Violence on Children, and defining witnessing domestic violence by children as maltreatment or emotional neglect is a mistake. “great concern [regarding] how increased awareness of children’s exposure [to domestic violence] and associated problems is being used.  Concerned about the risk adult domestic violence poses for children, some child protection agencies in the United States appear to be defining exposure to domestic violence as a form of child…Defining witnessing as maltreatment is a mistake. Doing so ignores the fact that large numbers of children in these studies showed no negative development problems and some showed evidence of strong coping abilities.  Automatically defining witnessing as maltreatment may also ignore battered mother’s efforts to develop safe environments for their children and themselves.” Ex. 163 at 866.