Emotional risk to children caught in violent marital conflict—The Basildon treatment project |
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| Authors: | Jean G Moore Anthony Galcius Kevin Pettican |
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| Institution: | Senior Tutor National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children School of Social Work 1 Riding House Street, London W IP 8AA, England;Leader, N.S.P.C.C. Marital/Family Violence Unit, Basildon, England;Social Work Tutor N.S.P.C.C. School of Social Work, England |
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| Abstract: | This paper outlines the work of the Basildon Marital/Family Violence Project set up as a result of two studies undertaken by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (N.S.P.C.C.) School of Social Work, which looked at the effect of marital violence upon the children involved. These effects were classified under the following headings: (1) the children were scapegoated; (2) used as pawns in the marital battles; (3) turned agression against themselves; (4) had relationship problems at school; (5) were physically assaulted by the parents in 25% of the cases. The project, which is now in its 4th year, has offered social work services, consultation, training courses and research. Work with the families, and particularly with the children, has further emphasised the severe emotional damage that marital violence can have upon the children. The paper optimistically reports that after intensive work using a five-point treatment programme, and direct work with the children, there has been considerable diminution of violence in many of the cases and in some cases no repetition of such violence at all. The worker's approach, it is suggested, should be characterised by optimism combined with indestructible calm, genuine empathy combined with 24-hour access, persistence in the face of lack of progress, enhancement of parents' low self-esteem, regular contact and an ability to contain destructiveness. |
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| Keywords: | Marital violence Emotional abuse Interaction Supervision Family violence |
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