Title:
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Towards a richer understanding of school age childrens' experiences of domestic violence : the perspectives of children and their mothers
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Introduction: Domestic violence is a longstanding phenomenon, affecting children every
day. Previous studies have attempted to characterise the negative impact on children,
however few have considered how children manage, negotiate, and make sense of their
experiences. More pertinently, there is a lack of research that speaks directly with schoolaged
children living in the community, alongside their mothers, regarding exposure to
domestic violence as a child. This study therefore sought to capture the dual-perspectives
of school-aged children and their mothers, to develop a richer understanding of children's
experiences of domestic violence, using a community-based sample.
Method: A qualitative research design was employed, with interpretative
phenomenological analysis used to interpret the data. The study utilised a dual-perspective
approach by speaking in parallel with school-aged children and their mothers. Five schoolaged
children and three of their mothers participated in the study.
Results: Two master themes are discussed from the analysis of the children's perspective:
Domestic violence through the eyes of children; and learning from children's experiences.
Two master themes are discussed from the analysis of the mothers' perspective: Reflecting
on the child in the context of domestic violence; and learning from mothers - insights,
support and services.
Conclusion: The crucial importance of the mother-child relationship in shaping children's
experience of domestic violence was illustrated in both the perspectives; a finding which
may have important implications for the development of interventions. It was also evident
that children as young as eight were able to powerfully articulate their experiences of
domestic violence.
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