This document was printed from the website of the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare (CEBC), which you can access at http://www.cachildwelfareclearinghouse.org/
This document was printed from the website of the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare (CEBC), which you can access at http://www.cachildwelfareclearinghouse.org/
Type of Maltreatment: Exposure to domestic violence
Target Population: Children age 8 and younger, with the majority being under age six, from a racially diverse urban area.
Brief Description:
The Child Witness to Violence Project was rated by the CEBC in the area of Domestic/Intimate Partner Violence: Services for Women Victims and their Children. The Child Witness to Violence Project at Boston Medical Center provides trauma-focused clinical intervention to children age 8 and younger who have been exposed to domestic or community violence. Approximately 150 families are seen each year; 85% of cases seen are for exposure to domestic violence; 65% of the children are age 6 or younger. The intervention requires the active participation of at least one parent and is focused on addressing the traumatic experiences of the child within the context the child-parent relationship. The intervention incorporates principles of Child-Parent Psychotherapy (Lieberman, Van Horn, et al.) and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Cohen, Mannarino, et al).* Components of the intervention include advocacy and case management, parent guidance, along with dyadic and/or individual psychotherapy. Services are offered in English or Spanish. Services are primarily outpatient and office-based.
*These programs have been rated by the CEBC under the Trauma Treatment for Children topical area.
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The Child Witness to Violence Project was not designed to be conducted in a group.
The Child Witness to Violence Project has not been tested for use in a group setting.
Recommended intensity: Weekly 1–1.5 hours session
Recommended duration: At least five months.
The Child Witness to Violence Project does not include a homework component.
The Child Witness to Violence Project is typically conducted in a(n): Birth Family Home and Outpatient Clinic.
The Child Witness to Violence Project was designed with a Parent Component.
The Child Witness to Violence Project addresses the following presenting problems and symptoms: Conflict in the parent-child relationship; lack of understanding/awareness of the impact of trauma on children; disruption of attachment between parent and child; and stresses/trauma associated with being a victim of domestic violence.
The Child Witness to Violence Project was designed with a Child Component.
The Child Witness to Violence Project addresses the following presenting problems and symptoms: Exposure to the trauma of domestic or community violence; symptoms associated with exposure to violence: aggression, sleep disturbances; conflict in the child-parent relationship; learning difficulties; and difficult peer relationships.
Age range(s): 0-8
The Child Witness to Violence Project was not developed for children with developmental delays.
The Child Witness to Violence Project has not been tested for children with developmental delays.
The Child Witness to Violence Project was not designed for specific racial/ethnic/cultural groups.
The Child Witness to Violence Project was not tested in specific racial/ethnic/cultural groups.
There is a manual that describes how to implement this program.
There is training available for The Child Witness to Violence Project.
Training contact: Maxine Weinreb, Ed.D; Tel: 617-414-3662; E-mail: maxine.weinreb@bmc.org
Number of days/hours: 2 days, 13 hours of training
Training is obtained: Onsite at Boston Medical Center, or at a site requested by interested professionals
There currently are additional qualified resources for training.
List of additional qualified resources: Alicia Lieberman, Patricia Van Horn, Child Trauma Research Project, San Francisco General Hospital;
Joy Osofsky, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA;
Julie Larrieu, Ph.D, Tulane University Infant Team.
The typical resources for implementing The Child Witness to Violence Project are: Play therapy offices stocked with therapeutic toys, books, art supplies, games and materials, private space to conduct all sessions, and child and adult waiting areas.
Master’s or Doctorate-level licensed mental health clinicians
No research studies have been published to date on The Child Witness to Violence Project.
Groves, B. (2002). Children who see too much: Lessons from the Child Witness to Violence Project. Boston: Beacon Press.
Groves, B. & Zuckerman, B. (1997). Interventions with parents and caregivers of children who are exposed to violence. In J. Osofsky (Ed.), Children in a violent society (pp. 183-201). New York: Guilford Press.
Groves, B., & Gewirtz, A. (2006). Interventions with children exposed to domestic violence: Promising approaches. In M. Feerick & G. Silverman (Eds.), Children exposed to violence: research, intervention and policy. (pp. 106-136). Baltimore, MD: Brookes Press.
Contact name: Betsy McAlister Groves, LICSW
Affiliation/Agency: Boston Medical Center
Email: betsy.groves@bmc.org
Phone: 617-414-4247
Fax: 617-414-7915
Website: http://www.childwitnesstoviolence.org