The Co-occurrence of Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment: Fact Sheet

What is co-occurrence of domestic violence and child maltreatment and why is it important?

Historically in the United States, domestic violence and child maltreatment were considered as two very separate social problems. Domestic violence was generally treated as a criminal justice issue with police and the judicial branch responding or frequently showing a lack of response. Women who experienced abuse turned to domestic violence shelters for support. Meanwhile, child abuse and maltreatment were handled by county government agencies in their Child Protective Services (CPS) divisions.

Recent research, however, has shown that 50% of men who frequently abuse their wives, also abuse their children (Peled, E., Jaffe, P.G. & Edleson, 1995). In approximately half of child abuse cases, a mother is also being battered (The Greenbook Initiative, 2005). Even in families with domestic violence but no child physical abuse, children who witness the abuse between their parents frequently suffer behavioral and emotional problems such as aggression towards others, withdrawal, low self-esteem, self-blame and lower school achievement (Kolbo, J.R., 1996). The research called for a new way to approach the two problems, by seeing that the two problems co-occur in many households and require joint interventions.

The birth of the Greenbook Project:

As a result of these research findings, the United States government launched the Greenbook Project to provide interventions in cases where families suffered from both domestic violence and child maltreatment. United States government recommendations were published under the title, Effective Interventions in Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment Cases: Guidelines for Policy and Practice. The report had a green cover, and therefore became referred to as the “Greenbook.”

The federal government funded six communities to implement policy recommendations and Applied Survey Research (ASR) was chosen as the evaluator of one project in Santa Clara County, California. The focus of the Greenbook effort in Santa Clara County was to improve interventions and coordination between child protective services (CPS), domestic violence agencies, the juvenile dependency court, and law enforcement. In Santa Clara County, there were seven different projects that focused on different systems including: 1. Training about co-occurrence for domestic violence advocates, 2. Cross-training of staff in all agencies impacted by domestic violence and child maltreatment, 3. Interventions for the batterer, 4. A new protocol to respond to the domestic violence victim 5. Changing CPS practices, 6. Integration of the courts, and 7. A culturally competent community engagement effort.

Impacts of the Greenbook Project in Santa Clara County:

According to data collected and analyzed by ASR about the Greenbook Initiative, there was : a decrease in domestic violence phone calls to law enforcement, a decrease in the recurrence of child abuse, increases in individuals who filed claims for children who witnessed domestic violence, a decrease in the number of children removed from the home, a new standardized procedure for how domestic violence victims and children were treated and referred to the appropriate agencies, and 700 individuals were trained about co-occurrence. The report is entitled, "Greenbook Project/ Toward a More Coordinated, County-wide Response to Family Violence: 2001-2006" and may be seen at: http://www.appliedsurveyresearch.org/www/products/Greenbook_Coordinated_Countywide_Response.pdf

Successes across California using a Greenbook framework:

Several counties have implemented interventions that are similar to Greenbook including in Contra Costa and San Mateo Counties, California.

The Zero Tolerance Initiative in Contra Costa County was designed to intervene swiftly and effectively in misdemeanor domestic violence cases and send perpetrators to jail or to batterer treatment so that it prevents batterers from committing further acts of domestic violence or more violent forms of abuse. Batterers are sent to a newly created court known as the Misdemeanor Domestic Violence Court. The court has a post-conviction domestic violence calendar that ensures that misdemeanor offenders who are sent to batterers’ treatment are closely monitored to comply with their terms of probation. The primary partners include the Sheriff’s office, the District Attorney, Probation, the Public Defender, the local domestic violence agency and the legal assistance organization for low-income families. The Sheriff and other law enforcement have developed a new domestic violence protocol that ensures that data are collected about children in the home and whether the children witnessed the violence. From this police form, children and their parents can be referred to services for support. The form also helps the District Attorney’s office in prosecuting cases against the batterer. Law enforcement also communicates this information about the presence of children in the home and whether they witnessed the domestic violence to CPS. To better serve victims, domestic violence advocates are co-located in different offices including the District Attorney’s office, the Domestic Violence Court, the welfare office, Child Protective Services and the legal assistance office. The county has also funded a restraining order clinic. Training on domestic violence and the impact on children has been conducted with staff throughout the county that work with domestic violence victims and children including law enforcement, CPS staff, the District Attorney’s office, and the courts.

Data collected and analyzed by ASR from the Zero Tolerance Initiative shows that intervening swiftly in misdemeanor domestic violence cases prevents a felony later. There has been an 85% increase in the number of completed law enforcement reports for misdemeanor domestic violence offenses and a 67% decrease in the felony reports between 1998 and 2004.

The Violence in Families Initiative in San Mateo County was focused on creating new police procedures and new Child Protective Services (CPS) procedures, as well as cross training professionals on co-occurrence. All 23 police departments adopted a new police protocol in cases of domestic violence. The protocol requires determining whether there are children in the household and if the children witnessed the domestic violence. The law enforcement officer then telephones and faxes the police reports to the domestic violence organization so that advocates could come to the scene of the domestic violence or talk with the victim on the phone to offer support services. San Mateo County also created a new child welfare protocol where Child Protective Services (CPS) workers assess all new child abuse/neglect cases for the presence of domestic violence in the home. CPS phone workers cross report domestic violence cases to the police when necessary.

ASR collected and analyzed data about the project which showed that over 1,000 police officers were trained on the new domestic violence police protocol and over 1,480 other professionals in the county were trained on co-occurrence, the needs of victims and children, and the resources available in the county. ASR conducted key informant interviews which showed an increased awareness of co-occurrence in county agencies and organizations and new ways of providing services to families with co-occurrence. A majority of key informants (87%) and front-line staff members of pertinent organizations (77%) felt that domestic violence victims were better served since the Violence in Families Initiative began.

Why should you conduct and evaluate new interventions for families with domestic violence and child maltreatment?

Many families that suffer from domestic violence also suffer from child abuse and maltreatment. Communities should create interventions that recognize the co-occurrence of these two problems in their families. Interventions can be developed so that police who respond to domestic violence crimes can also check on the health and well-being of the children and refer them to appropriate services. Similarly, when a call is made to Child Protective Services with a concern about child abuse or maltreatment, CPS phone workers can assess whether there is domestic violence in the home and refer the victim to appropriate services. The judicial system can also be improved to intervene quickly and effectively with batterers.