Listening to and Acting on Young Children’s Lived Experience of Domestic Violence and Abuse
The purpose of the Barnardos Empower Kids 0-5 project is to:
• hear what children aged 0-5 years tell us (in their own unique way) about their lived experiences of domestic violence and abuse (DVA) and;
• raise national and professional awareness about children’s views and experiences of DVA and ensure children’s views are considered in responding to DVA.
A multi-agency steering group was established by Barnardos to collaborate with Empower Kids 0-5. This steering group comprised front-line practitioners who work directly with children aged 0-5 years who experience DVA. The work of the group was informed by research and the expertise and networking capacity of its participants. The group decided to seek the views of children, parents, key workers and other professionals on the impact of DVA on babies and children from pregnancy to five years to influence decisions made about the lives of these children. During interviews and focus groups, parents, key workers and other professionals were asked to consider DVA from the perspective of a very young child. Participants were asked to talk about what the child said, what they saw the child doing, how the child behaved and how the child played. The project used the Mosaic approach which is a multi-method polyvocal (consisting of more than one voice) approach that brings together different perspectives to create with children an image of their worlds. This good practice example focuses specifically on how the views of children were gathered and acted on. Details about how parents and professionals’ views were sought can be found at: https://www.barnardos.ie/our-services/work-with-families/childhood-domestic-violenceabuse/cdva-practioners-resources/cdva-what-children-young-people-have-to-say/.
How the views of children were gathered
• A short focus group was undertaken with Early Years Practitioners from four Pre-School Services that support children with complex needs, including those living with DVA. Each service was asked to invite a parent and their child aged 3-5 who experienced DVA to take part in the project.
• Parent consent and child assent were secured. Child assent was sought in an age appropriate way using thumbs up and thumbs down illustrations (consent was seen as an ongoing process).
• The children’s key workers sought the views of children using the Draw and Talk Method over two sessions. A guidance document was provided to key workers explaining how to do this.
• All children in the pre-schools were invited to participate in the art activity and draw pictures of ‘about me’, ‘my family’ and ‘my home’. The key workers asked the children to explain their drawings and wrote the exact words of children on some of the drawings. Only the four children who were part of the Empower Kids 0-5 DVA project had their drawings and voices shared (see below).
• The Barnardos Empower Kids 0-5 project developed a feedback leaflet for the parents and children who took part in the Draw and Talk part of the project (see below). The feedback leaflet was sent to the early years educator key workers to share with children and parents.
The Barnardos Empower Kids 0-5 DVA project developed an animated video and a practice guidance document for professionals (see below) based on the views of children, parents and professionals called Notice me, Think about me, Ask about me. The video is a powerful description of the impact of DVA on babies in the womb, babies after birth, toddlers and young children. The guidance leaflet for professionals provides information about the impact of DVA on babies and young children and supports professionals to ask appropriate questions of parents and guidance on how to intervene to act on the needs of children. The video and guidance document are available at: https://www.barnardos.ie/our-services/work-with-families/childhood-domestic-violence-abuse/cdva-practioners-resources/cdvawhat-children-young-people-have-to-say/
How the children will be given SPACE, VOICE, AUDIENCE and INFLUENCE
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