214925 Co-occurrence of Intimate Partner Violence and Child Maltreatment: Service Providers' Perceptions

Monday, November 8, 2010

Martha L. Coulter, DrPH MSW , Department of Community and Family Health, University of South Florida, College of Public Health, Tampa, FL
Melissa Cristal Mercado-Crespo, MSc, MA , Department of Community & Family Health, University of South Florida, College of Public Health, Tampa, FL
  
Problem: Family violence often includes intimate partner violence (IPV) and child maltreatment (CM). Integrating program responses is dependent on service providers' awareness of both IPV and CM dynamics. However, knowledge on family violence professionals' attitudes and perceptions about the IPV-CM's overlap is limited.

Methods: This cross-sectional, descriptive study's purpose was to examine the perceptions of IPV or CM professionals about the dynamics of both of these forms of violence. Invitations to participate in an online survey were sent to members of the Child Welfare/Domestic Violence Task Force of Hillsborough County-Florida, for distribution among local networks.

Results: Participants (N=146) believe victims stay in abusive relationships for several reasons: 85% believe they stay fearing their children's removal upon disclosure; 77% believe they stay because of economic dependence; only 30% think they stay because battered parents believe children need their father/mother.

Notably, over 75% think reporting CM damages their relationship with the victim, and 52% believe it further traumatizes children, most of the time. Conversely, 89% believe CM reporting protects children the majority of the time or more. Most participants reported higher confidence in their knowledge and capacity to identify or respond to CA than IPV. Differences by gender and area of employment are discussed.

Conclusions: These study findings shed light on the difficulties of integrating IPV and CM service agencies, and the need to better equip service professionals with the knowledge and resources to best serve battered parents and their children, as well as maltreated children and their parents.

Learning Areas:
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Program planning
Public health or related public policy
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Discuss child welfare, intimate partner violence (IPV), and law enforcement professionals' perceptions on the overlap of IPV and child abuse.

Keywords: Child Abuse, Domestic Violence

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: As Faculty at the University of South Florida College of Public Health and Director of The Harrell Center for the Study of Family Violence, I conduct and oversee multiple family violence research studies.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 3086.1: Expanding the Evidence: Status of Current Research