Department heading

In addition to witnessing the psychological and physical stress on the mother during pregnancy, affected children later hear and/or see how the mother is exposed to repeated violence. In this stressful situation, mothers are often no longer able to care for their children appropriately or become aggressive towards the child. Among other things, the children try to behave as adapted as possible and reveal little of their own needs (Heynen 2003: 4 ff).

The effects on child development are considerable. According to estimates by women's shelter workers, 30 to 60 % of the children cared for there show behavioural problems, toddlers often have emotional problems (40 %), and in 50 % of the cases older children also show social behavioural problems. Behavioural problems are expressed, for example, in the form of restlessness, aggressiveness, dejection or anxiety. This is followed by negative effects on academic success. When considering the gender-specific characteristics of behavioural problems, it becomes apparent that girls tend to show aggression only in their social environment, while aggressive forms of behaviour tend to become chronic in boys. In addition, girls in particular often feel jointly responsible for violence, while boys seem to perceive the threat aspect of violence more strongly (Kindler 2006: 38 f).

Another problem is that the first opportunity for the child to express its fears and needs and to be perceived accordingly is only when the mother has contacted the support system (Strasser 2006: 63). The concealment of violence within and outside the family leads to social isolation (Heynen 2003: 11), but also to inner isolation in the child, as he or she cannot come to terms with what he or she has experienced. In their reports, children choose formulations such as "bleeding to death inside" or that "all eyes are closed" when one cries, i.e. nobody looks when something is wrong in the family. (Strasser 2006: 62 ff). In this context, Strasser speaks of mental orphanhood (Strasser 2006: 58).

Just as there are gender differences with regard to the effects on development, the reasons for silence towards possible confidants, such as teaching staff, also differ according to gender (cf. Seith 2007).

Accordingly, it is important to sensitise professional groups who come into contact with children and adolescents to age- and gender-specific signs of possible family violence. This includes educators, teachers, professionals from the therapeutic or socio-pedagogical field who often deal with the field of learning, developmental and behavioural disorders. In addition, social pedagogues who, e.g. in youth centres and youth clubs, have the opportunity to establish more personal ties with children and young people.

The current state of research on the topic is to be determined by means of a systematic literature review. The short- and long-term effects of witnessed domestic violence on the development and health of children are relevant here, especially with regard to differences between the sexes. It is also of interest which interventions are used in the educational and therapeutic field of child and youth work, what effectiveness they have, whether there is cooperation between different institutions such as counselling centres, schools / day-care centres, medical / therapeutic care and how this can be sensibly designed.

In Hessen, there are only few indications of concrete cooperation projects between intervention centres in cases of domestic violence and day care centres or schools. The aim of the project is therefore to investigate whether and to what extent the gender-specific effects and processing patterns of children and adolescents who witness or have witnessed parental violence are known, as well as whether and to what extent they correspond to the experiences from daily work. In addition, the regional support services for children and adolescents, their networking and cooperation structures as well as access routes are to be determined.
For this purpose, female employees of women's shelters and women's counselling centres in Hesse as well as child and youth psychotherapists are to be interviewed by means of focus groups. The focus groups will be recorded by camera and documented and analysed using the Focusgroup Illustration Map method. In addition, sequential analyses of relevant excerpts will deepen the evaluation.
The insights gained from this will be used to interview relevant professional groups from child and youth work about their perception of these indications of possible domestic violence. These include educators, teachers, therapists from various disciplines, but also people who have professional contact with children and young people in the leisure sector, such as social educators. The data collection will again be carried out by means of focus groups, as already described above.

The results should

1. give indications of the current competences of the aforementioned professional groups with regard to identifying and dealing with children and young people who are witnesses and victims of domestic violence,
2. show how the current state of knowledge on the topic is implemented,
3. show what training and further training needs exist for the professional groups mentioned, and
4. show forms of networking and cooperation that make it clear whether, between whom and in what framework cooperation is currently taking place, i.e. for example between which professional groups, persons or institutions involved if a child is suspected or confirmed of suffering from domestic violence.

Heynen, S. (2003): Domestic violence: direct and indirect effects on children. Children as witnesses and victims of domestic violence. Available online at www.dvjj.de/download.php, last updated 05.11.2003, last checked 17.11.2012.

Hornberg, C.; Schröttle, M.; Bohne, S.; Khelaifat, N.; Pauli, A. (2008): Health consequences of violence with special reference to domestic violence against women. With the collaboration of K. Horch. Berlin (Gesundheitsberichterstattung des Bundes).

Kindler, H. (2002): Partnership Violence and Child Welfare. A meta-analytically oriented review and discussion of the effects of intimate partner violence on child development: Implications for practice. Munich.

Kindler, H. (2006): Partner violence and impairment of child development: A research review. In: B. Kavemann and U. Kreyssig (eds.): Handbuch Kinder und häusliche Gewalt. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, pp. 36-53.

Schröttle, M. (2004): Life situation, safety and health of women in Germany. Results of the first representative study on violence against women in Germany. Lecture. Cologne. Available online at www.europarl.europa.eu/hearings/20050621/femm/schroettle2_de.pdf, last updated 01.07.2005, last checked 17.11.2012.

Seith, C. (2006): "Because then they might do something wrong" - on the role of school and relatives for children affected by domestic violence from the perspective of 9-17 year olds. In: B. Kavemann and U. Kreyssig (eds.): Handbuch Kinder und häusliche Gewalt. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, pp. 103-124.

Strasser, P. (2006): "In my belly everything trembled." Traumatisation of children by violence against the mother. In: B. Kavemann and U. Kreyssig (eds.): Handbuch Kinder und häusliche Gewalt. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften.