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STRATEGIC CONTEXT
Overview
The National Domestic Abuse Delivery Plan for Children and Young People considers how best to improve outcomes for all children and young people affected by domestic abuse, drawing on Getting it right for every child principles and values and the aims of the National Strategy to Address Domestic Abuse in Scotland (2000).
The cross-cutting nature of the issues surrounding domestic abuse is reflected in the breadth of policy links that will be built on throughout the Delivery Plan implementation phase. The Delivery Plan will sit alongside and interact with the Violence Against Women Strategic Framework and the Early Years Strategy (both forthcoming) as well as a number of other health, justice and education policy agendas.
Our approach to addressing domestic abuse and its impact on children and young people is developed in the context of the new National Performance Framework, which is set out in the Government Economic Strategy. It is also underpinned by legislation. The Gender Equality Duty, which came into force in April 2007 as part of the Equality Act 2006, requires public sector bodies in Scotland to have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful sex discrimination and harassment and to promote equality of opportunity between men and women.
Domestic abuse, children and young people in Scotland
The National Strategy to Address Domestic Abuse in Scotland (2000) has united parliamentary agreement for its approach and its wide ranging actions. The Strategy, which will be taken forward in the context of the forthcoming Violence Against Women Strategic Framework, states that:
Domestic abuse (as gender-based abuse) can be perpetrated by partners or ex-partners and can include physical abuse (assault and physical attack involving a range of behaviour), sexual abuse (acts which degrade and humiliate women and are perpetrated against their will, including rape) and mental and emotional abuse (such as threat, verbal abuse, racial abuse, withholding money and other types of controlling behaviour such as isolation from family and friends).
Domestic abuse is most commonly perpetrated by men against women. The existence of violence against men is not denied, nor is the existence of violence in same sex relationships, nor other forms of abuse, but domestic abuse requires a response which takes account of the broader gender inequalities which women face.
In accepting this definition, it must be recognised that children are witness to and subjected to much of this abuse and there is a significant correlation between domestic abuse and the mental, physical and sexual abuse of children.
It must also be recognised that it is not necessary for children to directly witness or be subject to abuse to be affected by it. Domestic abuse can result in profound disruption to the stability and nurturing environment of a child's home, impacting on their physical, emotional and psychological wellbeing. Furthermore, it must be recognised that young people may experience domestic abuse in their own relationships.
Despite many excellent policy and practice initiatives over the past decade, domestic abuse remains a serious, widespread and pervasive social problem in Scotland -
- The Police recorded 45,796 incidents of domestic abuse in 2005-6. Of these incidents, 87% involved a male perpetrator and female victim.
- An ACPOS snapshot survey, carried out in November 2006, revealed that 45% of incidents reported to the police over a two-week period had children in the family, (54% aged 0-4, 33% aged 5-11), that children were present in 70% of these incidents (with 55% of those witnesses) and that 91% of children were referred to the Scottish Children's Reporter Administration ( SCRA).
- In 2006-7, over 1,060 mothers & children sought refuge from Women's Aid organisations.
- There were 66,785 non-offence related referrals to SCRA in 2006-7, out of which at least 18,004 were for domestic abuse.
We know, however, that most cases of domestic abuse go unreported and the figures we have do not reveal the true extent of the problem. The lack of accurate national data and of the systematic collection of information about domestic abuse at a local level will be addressed in tandem to, and as part of, work taken forward under the implementation of the Delivery Plan. This work will be undertaken in collaboration with the National Group to Address Violence Against Women and colleagues in Community Planning Partnerships. It will support evidence-based policy making and ongoing service development at national and local level.
Our understanding of the complex impact of domestic abuse on children, young people and their families is also incomplete. Consultation with women, children and young people will therefore underpin both research and the evaluation of initiatives at local level. Already, listening to children and young people who have been involved in the NDADG, as well as findings from the literature review, has given us vital insight into their experiences, their views and needs.
Children and young people trying to cope with the fear and uncertainty of domestic abuse describe their needs in simple but absolute terms. They want the abuse to stop, they want to be safe and they want their non abusive parent, most frequently their mother, to be safe. One of the things they value most is having someone who will listen to them without making assumptions about their situation, someone who they can trust to help them make decisions when they are ready and someone who will help them overcome the many disruptions to their lives, such as moving house, difficulties at school or separation between their parents. Many children and young people do not know where they can turn to if support is not available through their immediate networks of friends and family. Many children too, live with the constant anxiety of what will happen to them, and their families, if other people find out about the abuse and try to get involved.
A key focus of the Delivery Plan is early identification and intervention for families who are at risk as a consequence of domestic abuse, or in need of additional support to prevent domestic abuse from becoming a risk. In this context, it will sit alongside and interact closely with the Early Years Strategy.
Crucially, the Delivery Plan sets out to build children and young people's trust and confidence that agencies will place their best interests, and the interests of their non-abusive parent, at the heart of their response to domestic abuse. We believe it is important to recognise that children affected by domestic abuse demonstrate remarkable resilience, and that the emphasis of any sustained intervention should be to strengthen their resilience and, where possible, enable them to secure their own outcomes. This means listening to children and, where appropriate, including them in any decision-making processes that affect them.
Undoubtedly, though, tackling the root causes of domestic abuse is the only way to eradicate it. Preventing Domestic Abuse: A National Strategy (2003) highlights the importance of a sustained and strategic approach to challenging society's attitudes, behaviours and the values that perpetuate gender inequality and male violence against women or children. The Delivery Plan seeks to identify and support action which will contribute to strengthening this approach, focusing on interventions targeted at and involving children and young people themselves.
We expect our children to develop, as they grow up, into confident individuals who have respect for self, respect for difference, and act responsibly and compassionately towards those they form relationships with. There is a crucial role for everyone who comes in contact with children and young people - within their family, their community or the services they access - to promote positive values which do not condone violence or abuse. Our aim is to build community capacity as well as the capacity of agencies, especially those involved in delivering A Curriculum for Excellence, to empower children and young people by providing them with the skills, knowledge and understanding which will enable them to develop positive relationships based on equality and respect and, in children's words, 'make domestic abuse a thing of the past.'
Getting it right for every child affected by domestic abuse
Getting it right for every child is a national programme that is changing the way adults think and act to help children and young people grow, develop and reach their full potential. Getting it right is about all children, not just children 'in need' or those most 'at risk'. The programme seeks to enable parents, families, practitioners and communities to identify, at the earliest possible stage, where support is needed for a child and to provide that support at the earliest opportunity.
Getting it right for every child experiencing domestic abuse asks how agencies can best work together to ensure that children and young people affected by domestic abuse are:
Safe: protected from abuse, neglect and harm by others at home, at school and in the community.
Nurtured: living within a supportive family setting, with additional assistance if required, or, where this is not possible, within another caring setting, ensuring a positive and rewarding childhood experience.
Healthy: enjoying the highest attainable standards of physical and mental health, access to suitable healthcare, and support in learning to make healthy choices.
Achieving: supported and guided in their learning and in the development of their skills, confidence and self-esteem at home, at school, and in the community.
Active: having opportunities to take part in activities such as play, recreation and sport which will contribute to healthy growth and development, both at home and in the community.
Respected: having the opportunity, along with carers, to be heard and involved in decisions which affect them.
Responsible: having opportunities and encouragement to play active and responsible roles in their schools and communities and where necessary, having appropriate guidance and supervision and being involved in decisions that affect them.
Included: having help to overcome social, educational, physical and economic inequalities and being accepted as part of the community in which they live and learn.
Getting it right Domestic Abuse Pathfinder
Delivery mechanisms which will support the Getting it right approach for children affected by domestic abuse are being developed in four Pathfinder areas across Scotland: Dumfries & Galloway, Clydebank, Falkirk and North Edinburgh.
This approach will require universal services and agencies -
- to be proactive about identifying risk associated with domestic abuse,
- to work together,
- to provide support for children that meets their needs in a holistic way, and respect their right, where appropriate, to confidentiality and to participate in any decision-making processes that affect them,
- to integrate support for children with support for their mothers,
- to put in place interventions for perpetrators, which hold them accountable for the abuse and place expectations on them to address their abusive behaviour.
We recognise that there are considerable workforce implications to enabling agencies deliver a personalised response for each child or young person affected by domestic abuse. The Getting it right Domestic Abuse Pathfinder is exploring ways to build on the many excellent resources that already exist at local level, including the Violence Against Women Training Consortia and the Violence Against Women Multi-Agency Partnerships, to help agencies deliver this response. Our work is carried out in accordance with the Child Protection Audit and Review (2002), which recommends agencies move away from rigid child protection procedures in cases of domestic abuse, to ensure the needs of the 'whole child' are met in the context of their family and their environment.
Delivery Plan Framework
The Delivery Plan Framework has been used to guide the development of our Priorities for Action and will guide the future direction of the Delivery Plan implementation and review phase. We expect that our partners involved in the implementation phase, at national and local level, will work within this Framework to achieve better outcomes for all children and young people affected by domestic abuse.
The Framework recognises:
- The gendered nature of domestic abuse which locates domestic abuse within the context of broader inequalities between men and women in Scotland, and places responsibility for prevention and opportunities for action at individual, community and service level.
- The right of children and young people affected by domestic abuse to identify their needs, have their needs addressed and participate in developing services which aim to address their needs.
- The need for agencies to work across service boundaries; to place a child's safety and wellbeing at the heart of their response to domestic abuse and, in parallel, to ensure any action they take empowers and protects adult victims of domestic abuse, and holds perpetrators accountable for their abusive behaviour.
- The need for agencies and planners to take into account the experiences of specific groups of women, children and young people affected by domestic abuse who may face additional discrimination to ensure any action is relevant and appropriate to them.
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