No child is an island – The life situation before and during treatment for children exposed to family violence

Onsjö, Marja; Strand, Jennifer; Axberg, Ulf

doi:10.1177/26344041221078221

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…Some parents were resistant to the child having contact with CAMHS and even punished the child for attending. These findings are supported by a previous study showing that children exposed to family violence risk additional violence and other potential traumas while receiving care ( Onsjö et al, 2022 ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

“…The semi-structured interview guide included 13 questions focusing on participants’ treatment experiences at CAMHS. The questions also concerned their life situation during the treatment period, and experiences of the justice system and the social services, as reported previously ( Onsjö et al, 2022 ). Examples of interview questions and follow-up questions are: “What did you think of the interventions you received at the clinic?”; “Do you remember if you experienced anything in particular as good or bad?”; and “Was there anything you would have liked to change?”…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Children subjected to family violence: A retrospective study of experiences of trauma-focused treatment

Onsjö

Strand

Axberg

2023

Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry

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Exposure to adverse childhood experiences is a risk factor for the development of serious psychiatric and somatic illness. Although trauma-focused therapy is effective in reducing symptoms, not all children benefit from it. To improve treatment efficacy, the children’s perspective on what they perceive as helpful versus hindering is necessary. This study aimed, retrospectively, to explore how children exposed to family violence experienced treatment at the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service. Seventeen children and youths were interviewed 4–5 years after treatment. The thematic analysis resulted in five themes: confusion, the need to feel heard, fear of consequences, feelings of pain, and identifying oneself as an agent. The results emphasize the importance of the therapeutic relationship, and that trust, genuine interest, and reciprocity are necessary for the child to engage in treatment. However, neither the child’s own agency nor external obstacles such as continuous exposure to abuse should be underestimated in terms of the child’s engagement.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Children subjected to family violence: A retrospective study of experiences of trauma-focused treatment

Onsjö

Strand

Axberg

2023

Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry

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“…Feeling safe and living without fear is a right for children. It is also key to development and recovery after experiences of violence, as continued feelings of fear and unsafe contacts with the perpetrator can undermine support and treatment interventions [ 22 , 77 ]. It is especially important to consider the child’s perspective on fear and safety if the child continues to live with or has regular contact with the perpetrator, as perpetrators may continue violence or engage in post-separation stalking, thus undermining the child’s sense of safety and security [ 78 , 79 ].…”

Section: Results: Areas Of Riskmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Studies indicate that cases referred to child welfare services due to violence may be left without intervention, and then often reoccur [ 21 ]. Some children are even abused while being in contact with child welfare services [ 12 , 22 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Safeguarding Children Subjected to Violence in the Family: Child-Centered Risk Assessments

Eriksson

Broberg

Hultmann

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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Assessing risk, planning for safety and security, and aiding recovery for children subjected to violence in a family setting is a complex process. The aim of the article is to synthesize the current research literature about risks for children subjected to violence in the family and outline an empirical base for a holistic and practically usable model of risk assessments placing the individual child at the center. Such assessments need to recognize four different areas of risk: (1) child safety, i.e., known risk factors for severe and dangerous violence aimed at both adults and children and how they play out in the individual case; (2) the child’s response in situations with violence; (3) the child’s perspective, especially fear and feelings of powerlessness in situations with violence; (4) developmental risks, e.g., instability in the child’s situation and care arrangements, lack of a carer/parent as a “secure base” and “safe haven”, the child developing difficulties due to the violence (e.g., PTSD), problems in parents’ caring capacities in relation to a child with experiences of, and reactions to, violence, and lack of opportunities for the child to make sense of, and create meaning in relation to, experiences of violence. In addition to the four areas of risk, the article emphasizes the importance of assessing the need for immediate intervention and safety planning in the current situation as regards safety, the child’s responses, the child’s perspectives, and long-term developmental risks.

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Children’s Experiences of Undergoing Forensic Interviews and Forensic Medical Examinations in a Danish Child Advocacy Center

Haahr-Pedersen,

Bach,

Banner

et al. 2024

Child Ind Res

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Child abuse is a severe global problem associated with various negative consequences. It is therefore important that the services received at Child Advocacy Centers (CACs) are perceived as positive as possible by children affected by abuse. Preliminary research indicates that CACs are successful in terms of providing coordinated, professional services. However, existing research has primarily focused on service and criminal justice system outputs, rather than documenting the experiences of the target group: i.e., children undergoing the CAC proceedings. The present study seeks to investigate the children’s experiences of the forensic procedures in a CAC. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 15 children undergoing case proceedings at a Danish CAC. The overall experiences of the children of the forensic interview and forensic medical examination were documented. Additionally, five overall themes were constructed using Thematic Analysis: Localities and surroundings, Relational and communicative work, Ambivalent experiences, Need of information and overview, and Missing out on everyday life. The findings of the current study underline the importance of the physical environment of the CAC, the need of information and overview as well as strong relational and communicative skills among professional as core elements in establishing positive encounters with the CAC. Furthermore, the results indicate how negative experiences of visiting a CAC are not necessarily directly linked to the CAC but may be a result of the children experiencing missing out on well-liked everyday activities. Altogether these results are important to consider when planning future CAC visits to support the well-being of the child.

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No child is an island – The life situation before and during treatment for children exposed to family violence

Cited by 4 publications

References 53 publications

Children subjected to family violence: A retrospective study of experiences of trauma-focused treatment

Children subjected to family violence: A retrospective study of experiences of trauma-focused treatment

Safeguarding Children Subjected to Violence in the Family: Child-Centered Risk Assessments

Children’s Experiences of Undergoing Forensic Interviews and Forensic Medical Examinations in a Danish Child Advocacy Center

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