Abstract
Victims’ responses to violent experiences within intimate relationships are highly diverse and can range from remaining silent, at least temporarily, to disclosing the abuse to informal and formal sources of support. Decisions to remain silent or to reach out for support are influenced by a complex range of factors, including situational circumstances, such as the presence of children. Using data from in-depth interviews with victims of IPV (N = 29) in Southeast Queensland, Australia, I examined victims’ responses to IPV when children are present in the abusive household. Victims, who accessed general formal support sources, including the criminal justice systems and Child Protection Services (CPS), frequently faced stereotypical and victim-blaming attitudes along with a lack of understanding of the dynamics of IPV and the circumstances surrounding victims’ help-seeking decisions. The presence of children in abuse relationships complicated victims’ help-seeking decisions because fear of harm and loss of custody often delayed or hindered the disclosure of IPV to formal support sources. Once disclosing the abuse victims often found themselves trapped between CPS expectations to protect their children by leaving the abusive partner and a reluctance on behalf of judges and magistrates to offer the necessary protection by including children on granted Domestic Violence Orders (DVO). These findings highlight the ongoing need for specialized training of CPS personnel, judges and magistrates along with an ongoing collaboration with the women’s sector to ensure the safety of victims and their children throughout the help-seeking process and to improve victims’ confidence in disclosing IPV.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Brown, J. (1997). Working toward freedom from violence: The process of change in battered women. Violence Against Women, 3, 5–26.
Bui, H. N. (2003). Help-seeking behavior among abused immigrant women. A case of Vietnamese American women. Violence Against Women, 9, 207–239.
Clapp, L. (2000). Ending domestic violence is everyone’s responsibility: An integrated approach to domestic violence treatment. Nursing Clinics of North America, 35, 481–488.
Crime and Misconduct Commission [CMC]. (2005). Policing domestic violence in Queensland: Meeting the challenges. Brisbane: CMC.
Davies, L. V., & Krane, J. (2006). Collaborate with caution: Protecting children, helping mothers. Critical Social Policy, 26, 412–425.
Davis, R. (2002). Leave-Taking experiences in the lives of abused women. Clinical Nursing Research, 11, 285–305.
Davis, L. V., & Srinivasan, M. (1995). Listening to the voices of battered women: What helps them escape violence. Affilia, 10, 49–69.
Dobash, R. E., & Dobash, R. P. (1979). Violence against wives. New York: The Free Press.
Douglas, H., & Walsh, T. (2009). Mothers and the child protection system. International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family, 23, 211–229.
Douglas, H., & Walsh, T. (2010). Mothers, domestic violence and child protection. Violence Against Women, 16, 489–508.
Edleson, J. L. (1999). The overlap between child maltreatment and women battering. Violence Against Women, 5, 134–154.
Edleson, J. L. (2001). Studying the co-occurrence of child maltreatment and domestic violence in families. In S. A. Graham-Bermann & J. L. Edleson (Eds.), Domestic violence in the lives of children: The future of research, intervention, and social policy. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Ellsberg, M. C., Winkvist, A., Peña, R., & Stenlund, H. (2001). Women’s strategic responses to violence in Nicaragua. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 55, 547–555.
Ewen, B. M. (2007). Failure to protect laws: Protecting children or punishing mothers? Journal of Forensic Nursing, 3, 84–86.
Findlater, J. E., & Kelly, S. (1999). Child protective services and domestic violence. The Future of Children, 9, 84–96.
Gondolf, E. W., Fisher, E. R., & McFerron, J. R. (1990). The help-seeking behaviour of battered women: An analysis of 6, 000 shelter interviews. In E. Viano (Ed.), The victimology handbook: Research findings, treatment, and public policy (p. 113.127). New York: Garland.
Government of Western Australia. (2009). WA strategic plan for family and domestic violence 2009-2013: Annual Action Plan 2009-2010.
Hague, G., Malos, E. & Dear, W. (1996). Multi-agency work and domestic violence: a national study of inter-agency initiatives. University of Bristol, The Policy Press.
Home Office. (1995). Inter-agency circular: inter-agency co-ordination to tackle domestic violence. Home Office and Welsh Office.
Johnson, M. P. (2005). Domestic violence: It’s not about gender–or is it? Journal of Marriage and Family, 67, 1126–1130.
Joseph, J. (2006). Agency responses to female victims of domestic violence: The British approach. Criminal Justice Studies, 19, 45–60.
Kaufman Kantor, G., & Little, L. (2003). Defining the boundaries of child neglect: When does domestic violence equate with parental failure to protect? Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 18, 338–355.
Kaye, M., Stubbs, J., & Tolmie, J. (2003a). Domestic violence and child contact arrangements. Australian Journal of Family Law, 17, 93–133.
Kaye, M., Stubbs, J., & Tolmie, J. (2003b). Domestic violence, separation, and parenting: Negotiating safety using legal processes. Current Issues in Criminal Justice, 15, 73–94.
Lempert, L. B. (1997). The other side of help: Negative effects in the help-seeking processes of abused women. Qualitative Sociology, 20, 289–309.
Leone, J. M., Johnson, M. P., & Cohan, C. L. (2007). Victim help seeking: Differences between intimate terrorism and situational couple violence. Family Relations, 56, 427–439.
Liang, B., Goodman, L., Tummala-Narra, P., & Weintraub, S. (2005). A theoretical framework for understanding help-seeking processes among survivors of intimate partner violence. American Journal of Community Psychology, 36, 71–84.
Magen, R. H. (1999). In the best interest of battered women: Reconceptualizing allegations of ‘failure to protect’. Child Maltreatment, 4, 127–135.
Meyer, S. (2010). Seeking help to protect the children?: The influence of children on women’s decisions to seek help when experiencing intimate partner violence. Journal of Family Violence. doi:10.1007/s10896-010-9329-1.
Mills, L. G., Friend, C., Conroy, K., Fleck-Henderson, A., Krug, S., & Magen, R. H. (2000). Child protection and domestic violence: Training, practice, and policy issues. Children and Youth Services Review, 22, 315–332.
New South Wales Government. (2010). Stop the violence, end the silence. Sydney: NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet.
Queensland Government. (2009). For our sons and daughters: A Queensland government strategy to reduce domestic and family violence 2009–2014. The State of Queensland.
Robinson, A. L., & Stroshine, M. S. (2005). The importance of expectations fulfilment on domestic violence victims’ satisfaction with the police in the UK. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 28, 301–320.
Stark, E. (2007). Coercive control: How men entrap women in personal life. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Strauss, A. L., & Corbin, J. M. (1990). Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory procedures and technique. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
Walker, L. E. (1979). The battered woman. New York: Harper & Row.
Weithorn, L. A. (2001). Protecting children from exposure to domestic violence: The use and abuse of child maltreatment statutes. Hastings Law Journal, 53, 1–156.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Meyer, S. ‘Acting in the Children’s Best Interest?’: Examining Victims’ Responses to Intimate Partner Violence. J Child Fam Stud 20, 436–443 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-010-9410-7
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-010-9410-7