Title: Best Practice Approaches: Child Protection and Violence Against Women Training for Child Protection Workers
1Best Practice ApproachesChild Protection and
Violence Against Women Training for Child
Protection Workers
2Workshop Objectives
There are 7 broad workshop objectives,
reflected in the 7 workshop modules.
3CREATING CONTEXT MODULE 1 Understanding
Violence Against Women and Child
ProtectionMODULE 2 Mothering In The Context Of
Violence Against Women MODULE 3
Understanding Violence Against Women And
Their Children
4 APPROACHES MODULE 4 Determining A Response
To Woman Abuse And Child Protection
MODULE 5 Applying a Women-Centred Approach
to Child Protection Investigations MODULE 6
Effective Ways to Protect Children and Youth
MODULE 7 Building Common Ground Linking
Protection and Safety
5MODULE 1 Creating Context Understanding
Violence Against Women and Child Protection
6Personal Learning Objectives
7Personal Safety
- The materials that will be explored may be highly
charged. - Take care of your own well-being be mindful of
others in the training. - active listening
- respectful communication
- consideration for differing perspectives
- honour confidentiality
8Module 1 Learning Objectives
- Participants will
- Feel safe to explore challenging concepts and
practices related to child protection within the
context of violence against women in
relationships - Understand rationale for development of the Best
Practices Approaches and training - Be introduced to the Best Practice Approaches
9Best Practice ApproachesBackground
- Developed by MCFD in response to concerns
expressed by - Child Protection Workers
- Front-line Workers and Clinicians delivering
services to women experiencing abuse and children
affected by witnessing abuse - An example of the concerns expressed was removing
children while they were residing with their
mother at a transition house.
10Best Practice ApproachesBackground
- 2000
- Policy Paper outlining these issues submitted to
MCFD by Provincial Anti-Violence Organizations - BC Association of Specialized Victim Assistance
Counselling Programs - BC/Yukon Society of Transition Houses
- BC Womens Hospitals Provincial Woman Abuse
Response Program - BC Institute Against Family Violence
-
11Best Practice ApproachesBackground
- Developing A Dialogue A Preliminary Discussion
Paper on Child Protection Issues in Cases
Involving Violence Against Women and Children - www.endingviolence.org
-
12Best Practice ApproachesBackground
- 2000
- Meeting between provincial anti-violence
organizations and Director of Child Protection at
MCFD - Agreement with the Directors recommendation
-
- Collaborate with MCFD to jointly develop BEST
PRACTICE APPROACHES for child protection
interventions in violence against women cases.
13Best Practice ApproachesBackground
- 2001 Working Group
- Anti-Violence Experts
- Child Protection Experts
- Ministry of Children and Family Development
- Ministry of Community, Aboriginal and Womens
Services - Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General
- 2001 to 2004 Best Practice Approaches
- Developed and made available to child protection
workers
14Best Practice ApproachesBackground
- 2006 2008
- Best Practice Approaches Training
- MCFD allocated resources to develop training
- Opportunity for child protection workers to
- Learn about Best Practice Approaches
- Learn how to apply Best Practice Approaches
15Best Practice ApproachesBackground
16Violence Against WomenDefining the Issue
- Any act of gender-based violence that results
in physical, sexual or psychological harm or
suffering to women. - United Nations Declaration on the
- Elimination of Violence Against Women
17Violence Against WomenDefining the Issue
- A pattern of intentionally coercive and violent
behavior toward an individual with whom there is
or has been an intimate relationship. - These behaviours can be used to establish control
of an individual and can include physical and
sexual abuse psychological abuse with verbal
intimidation, progressive social isolation, or
deprivation and economic control. - Domestic Violence in Women
- El-Bayoumi, Borum, Haywood
- Medical Clinics of North America
18Violence Against WomenDefining the Issue
- Abusive Tactics Include BUT are not limited to
- Verbal
- Threats, yelling, insults
- Mental
- Using tactics to convince her that she is crazy
or stupid - Emotional
- Using guilt and other strategies to make her
think that shes a bad mother/partner/person.
Ignoring her or using jealousy to control her. - Sexual
- Preventing choice about sex, birth control or STI
protection. Withholding sexual affection
19Violence Against WomenDefining the Issue
- Physical
- Hitting, choking, kicking, use of weapons
- Financial
- Controlling the decisions about finances, not
allowing her to access money or bank accounts - Spiritual
- Belittling her religion, keeping her from
practicing her faith - Cultural
- Belittling her culture, racial insults
- Social
- Isolating her from friends or family, controlling
her whereabouts and who she can associate with
20Violence Against WomenDefining the Issue
- Other forms of inequality and oppression which
include poverty, colonization, racism,
heterosexism, and ableism intersect with gender
to - shape experiences of women in abusive
relationships - reduce appropriate services
- increase risks
21Violence Against WomenDefining the Issue
-
- The impact is significantisolation,
degradation of self, fear, and loss of
autonomywhich further entrap women in the
relationship.
22Violence Against WomenDefining the Issue
-
- The greatest danger women face is when they
try to leave, or otherwise challenge their
partners authority.
23Violence Against WomenGlobal Issues
- Human rights violations internationally
perpetrated differently against women - Women represent the overwhelming majority of
abuse survivors. - Power inequalities and dynamics within gender
relations results in abuse that
disproportionately affects women.
24Violence Against WomenGlobal Issues
- The many manifestations of gender based violence
point to - the significant role that social norms, gender
roles, and social and political institutions play
in legitimizing and therefore perpetuating woman
abuse, in addition to contributing to womens
vulnerability to abuse.
25Violence Against WomenHow Common Is It?
- Research on rates of woman abuse has played a
vital role in establishing the seriousness of the
issue worldwide, although results do not
adequately reflect the complex nature of woman
abuse. - Researchers recommend complementing quantitative
studies with research that looks at the
experiences of victims.
26Violence Against WomenHow Common Is It?
- AT LEAST
- One in three women will experience abuse in an
'intimate' relationship at some point in their
adult lives. - One in ten women is experiencing abuse during any
given year. - Violence Against Women Survey.
- 1993, Statistics Canada Ottawa.
27Violence Against WomenHow Common Is It?
- Thus, in an average year in Canada, it is
estimated that about 200,000 women are
threatened, slapped, kicked, punched, choked,
beaten, or sexually assaulted by their partners.
28Violence Against WomenHow Common Is It?
- Over 2.6 million Canadian women have
experienced physical or sexual assault. - Johnson, H. (1996)
- Dangerous Domains Violence Against Women In
Canada
29Violence Against WomenHow Common Is It?
- More than twice as many women as men reported
being beaten - 5 times as many women as men reported being
choked - Almost twice as many women as men reported having
a gun or knife used against them - More than 6 times as many women as men reported
being sexually assaulted - 1999 General Social Survey on Spousal Violence -
Canada
30Violence Against WomenHow Common Is It?
- 98 of sexual assaults and 86 of violent crimes
are committed by men - Women constitute 98 of spousal violence victims
of sexual assault, kidnapping or hostage taking - 80 of victims of criminal harassment are women
while 90 of the accused are men - 1999 General Social Survey on Spousal Violence -
Canada
31Violence Against WomenHow Common Is It?
- Women victimized in greater numbers, severity of
violence greater - 65 assaulted more than once
- 26 assaulted more than 10 times
- 40 of women compared to 13 of men physically
injured as a result of the violence - Women 5 times more likely than men to require
medical attention as a result of the violence - 1999 General Social Survey on Spousal Violence -
Canada
32Violence Against WomenImpact on Children and
Youth
- Children and youth witness woman abuse if they
see it, are used by the violent parent, hear the
violence, or experience its aftermath such as the
arrest or hospitalization of a parent. - Edleson, J. (1999)
- Childrens Witnessing of Adult Domestic Violence
33Violence Against WomenImpact on Children and
Youth
- Can witness or be impacted by woman abuse by
- Seeing a mother assaulted or demeaned
- Hearing loud conflict and violence
- Seeing the aftermath (e.g., injuries)
- Learning about what happened to a mother
34Violence Against WomenImpact on Children and
Youth
- Can witness or be impacted by woman abuse by
- Being used by an abusive parent as part of the
abuse - Seeing a father abuse his new partner when they
visit him on weekends - Being denied what is owed them for child support
35Violence Against WomenImpact on Children and
Youth
- May be used by an abusive parent by
- Claiming that the childrens and/or youths bad
behaviour is the reason for the violence - Encouraging the children and/or youth to abuse
the other parent - Threatening violence against the children and/or
their pets
36Violence Against WomenImpact on Children and
Youth
- Engaging the child and/or youth in negative
discussion about their mother - Prolonged custody and access proceedings when
abuser has previously shown little interest in
the children - Holding the children hostage or abducting them in
an effort to punish the victim or gain compliance - Baker, Jaffe and Moore (2001)
- Understanding the Effects of Domestic Violence
37Violence Against WomenImpact on Children and
Youth
- Prevalence of children or youth who witness abuse
- 40 and 80 of children in families where
violence against women occurs are exposed to the
abuse either by seeing it or by overhearing it. - 3 to 5 children or youth in every Canadian school
classroom have witnessed their mother being
assaulted.
38Violence Against WomenImpact on Children and
Youth
- Those who witness physical violence to their
mother usually also witness psychological abuse - Between 1999 and 2004, children of approximately
34,500 BC women were exposed to woman abuse - On any given day in Canada about 2500 children
live with mothers in shelters for abused women
39Violence Against WomenWomen-Centred Approach
- Providing women-centred services is fundamental
to womens empowerment and safety. - This approach is not in conflict with a child
protection approach. - Recognizes womens safety is an important factor
in the safety and protection of their children.
40Violence Against WomenWomen-Centred Approach
- Key Aspects
- recognize and build on a womans strengths
- recognize womens safety strategies
- develop a trusting and respectful relationship
- respect her ability to make choices within legal
limits - provide services that are accessible from her
perspective
41Violence Against WomenWomen-Centred Approach
- respect cultural diversity
- recognize that all forms of marginalization
affect womens experiences and may limit options - counter stereotypes about violence and specific
groups - provide interpretation services that allow safe
discussion about her experiences
42Violence Against WomenWomen-Centred Approach
- support solutions that respect and account for
womens cultural and religious values - build resources with women and the larger
community - engage in a collaborative approach with
anti-violence womens organizations and other
systems
43Violence Against WomenWomen-Centred Approach
- A womans past may influence the way she
interacts with child protection services - Removal from her family - child protection
services, residential schools or foster care. - Experiencing further abuse after removal.
- State harassment, police brutality, investigation
and interrogation - particularly immigrant and
refugee women, aboriginal women, poor women,
women who use alcohol or drugs, and women in the
sex trade.
44Violence Against WomenWomen-Centred Approach
- Past experiences can lead to mistrust and fear of
people in positions of power and authority - This mistrust and fear should be understood in
the context of womens lives and social history.
45Violence Against WomenWomen-Centred Approach
- Reframe judgements
- uncooperative
- non-compliant
- difficult
- using her experience to guide her decisions and
protect her from further harm
46Violence Against WomenWomen-Centred Approach
- If a child protection workers intervention leads
to the decision that the non-abusing woman is not
able to protect her children from the abuser - Understand a womans reasons for returning to or
remaining with an abusive partner - Do not blame a woman if it appears that she has
chosen her partner over her children - Do not punish the woman by withholding access to
her children
47Violence Against WomenWomen-Centred Approach
- Continue to work with the woman to help her
create a safe environment for herself and her
children - Develop a service plan independent of her
partner, ensure that she is not treated as the
perpetrator. - Offer anti-violence community services
- should not be offered in a way that is coercive
or punitive - e.g. a woman will be allowed access
to her children if she attends mandatory
counselling sessions.