Child-aware practice in families where there is violence

What principles and practices keep children’s needs at the centre when working with families where there is violence? In this episode, Prof Sarah Wendt interviews Dr Carmela Bastian, both from Flinders University, about child-centred practice in situations of family and domestic violence. Carmela draws on her twenty plus years of experience as a practitioner and academic in the fields of child protection and human services to illuminate approaches that can help to navigate this complex space.

In this episode you will learn:

• Learning 1: Bringing conversations back to the impact on the child (03:34)
• Learning 2: How to create safe spaces for children to talk (07:25)
• Learning 3: Assessing parent-child relationship quality (13:00)
• Learning 4: How to discuss safety without instilling a sense of blame (15:40)
• Learning 5: Barriers to practicing in a child-centred way (28:54)

Further information and resources:

The Impact of FDV on the Child: An Introduction

Engaging fathers who use violence podcast

Child-focused social work practice in the context of family and domestic violence: Understanding the impact of male violence

Keeping children visible in practice responses to family and domestic violence