Involving Children and Young People in Research on Domestic Violence and Housing

Abstract

This article argues that a lack of research on domestic violence which engages with children and young people has led to a paucity of effective service provision for such young people. Methodological issues and ethical concerns involved in conducting research on sensitive topics such as domestic violence, together with presumptions relating to the social status of children in society, have limited the amount of empirical research which engages with this vulnerable group. The article discusses such issues in light of the experience of conducting a 12-month child-focused project. The importance of ascertaining children's views is demonstrated through new and important housingrelated findings that were identified by the young people interviewed during this project.

Conflits entre conjoints ou contrôle des hommes sur les femmes ? L’expérience et le point de vue d’enfants et d’adolescents exposés à la violence conjugale

“…Les résultats de cette étude ont d'ailleurs mis en lumière différentes composantes de l'expérience des enfants et des adolescents exposés à la violence conjugale. Par la suite, d'autres recherches ont donné la parole aux enfants et aux adolescents exposés à la violence conjugale dans le but d'approfondir certaines dimensions particulières de leur leur vécu, telles que les enjeux en lien avec le logement (Baker, 2005) ou leurs actions lors des épisodes de violence (Øverlien et Hyden, 2009). Malgré ces importantes contributions, la perspective féministe a été marginalisée au cours des dernières années, au profit de la perspective de la « violence familiale » (Lapierre, 2010 (Winstok, 2007 ;Straus, 2011).…”

Problematising the Relationship between Teenage Boys and Parent Abuse: Constructions of Masculinity and Violence

“…Such approaches fail to question the construction of gender in society and why some individuals choose to take up certain subject positions and others do not (Hearn, 1996). The application of these theories to teenagers specifically may also be explained by the relative lack of research conducted in relation to them (Baker, 2005). The paucity of information about teenagers who stay in refuges in comparison to younger children has meant that research studies often neglect this population (Hague et al, 1994).…”

“…Moreover, such assumptions can unfairly label all young teenage males as 'potentially violent men', simply because they happen to be of the same gender as the traditional perpetrator of domestic violence (Baker, 2005(Baker, , 2009). As Kelly states:…”

Barns relationer i våldets närhet: Respons, positioner och möjligheten till barns röst

“…Dessa pojkar ses som unga män och det finns en oro för att de ska ta efter förövarens beteende och utöva våld mot sina mammor. För pojkar över 16 år innebär denna regel att de tvingas skiljas från sin mamma och eventuella syskon vilket kan innebära att de hänvisas till sin våldsamma pappa (Baker 2005 numera både enskild behandling och gruppbehandling, aktiviteter efter skolan och på lov.…”

“…Baker (2005) menar att professionella tenderar att välja bort barn som de uppfattar som särskilt utsatta eller sårbara, som exempelvis unga barn, barn som har allvarliga erfarenheter av våld, barn som har erfarenheter av negativa möten med myndigheter. Jag kan inte avgöra om så var fallet vid rekryteringen till PI och PII, men en logisk följd av rekryteringsprocessen är att samtliga barn som ingår i materialet har eller har haft kontakt med professionella.…”