Paper: Combating the Effects of Domestic Violence on Children Locally and Globally (40th Biennial Convention (October 31st- November 4th, 2009))

Tuesday, November 3, 2009: 1:15 PM

Betsy M. McDowell, PhD, RN, CCRN, CNE
Department of Nursing, Newberry College, Newberry, SC

Learning Objective 1: delineate the effects of domestic violence on children from a holistic perspective.

Learning Objective 2: identify at least 4 strategies for combating the effects of domestic violence on children.

Millions of children world-wide are touched by domestic violence annually. This can be directly by suffering physical injuries, sexual assaults, verbal abuse and intimidation, or indirectly by witnessing violence within the family or by being neglected secondary to the violence. Because of its prevalence in today’s society, nurses are likely to encounter child victims of domestic violence in diverse settings and at different points in the cycle of violence. Nurses must effectively employ a variety of strategies to combat the consequences of domestic violence for these children.

The purpose of this presentation is to communicate the complexity of domestic violence as a stressor of children in society today and to suggest strategies nurses might use in combating the problem of domestic violence. Regardless of the child’s age, domestic violence is a powerful stressor that may affect these children in all areas of their lives – physiologically, psychologically, socioculturally, developmentally, and spiritually – in both immediate and long-term ways. Examples of the obvious and of more subtle effects of domestic violence on children will be offered from the author’s personal practice. Interventions nurses can utilize to reduce the effects of this pervasive stressor can be divided into three categories based on the cycle of violence and on the Neuman Systems Model – prevention of encounters with domestic violence in society; early identification of child victims, removal from the violent setting, and meeting of immediate needs; and on-going support following the immediate recovery period including preparation for the future. Various strategies in each category will be identified, enabling nurses to incorporate them into their own personal practices and to make a difference in their local and global communities. This presentation will be of interest to all nurses regardless of specialty area or practice setting.

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