Jack, S. M., Jamieson, E., Wathen, C. N. & MacMillan, H. L. (2008). The feasibility of screening for intimate partner violence during postpartum home visits. Canadian Journal of Nursing Research, 40(2), 150-170.
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious public health problem: 7% of females in Canada in 2004 experienced some form of spousal violence; the prevalence rate for pregnant women is between 6 and 8%. Organizations recommend universal screening for IPV. There is debate and a dearth in the literature about the effectiveness of universal screening for IPV. The present qualitative study was conducted to examine the perceptions of six public health nurses’ (PHN) about universal screening for IPV during home visits with 37 women. The 37 women were randomly assigned to the three methods: face-to-face interview (n=13), written self-report (n=16), and computer self-report (n=8). The PHNs then completed a single in-depth, semi-structured interview. The objectives were: (1) examine PHNs’ perceptions of screening for IPV; (2) explore the feasibility, from the PHNs’ perceptions, of screening for IPV during home visits, including identifying barriers to screening; (3) describe the circumstances under which PHNs ask about IPV; and (4) describe PHNs’ training with respect to addressing IPV.
The PHNs believed that universal screening for IPV would be beneficial; however, identified barriers: (1) the presence of the partner during the visit, (2) the presence of other family members, including children over 18 months, (3) lack of time, (4) the PHNs’ respect for the client’s time and priorities, and (5) language barriers. The PHNs perceived that universal screening would benefit women only if the PHN were knowledgeable about and skilled in responding to disclosures of abuse. Because of these findings and given the lack of evidence about whether universal screening reduces violence, the authors conclude that routine universal screening for IPV during postpartum home visits has limited acceptability and feasibility. The authors recommend that PHNs should decide when and how to ask about IPV, using their expertise, judgment, and knowledge about the signs and symptoms.
Brown, L., Callahan, M., Strega, S., Walmsley, C., Dominelli, L. (2009). Manufacturing ghost fathers: The paradox of father presence and absence in child welfare. Child & Family Social Work, 14(1), 25-34.
This study explores the invisibility of fathers in the child welfare system in Canada. The authors look at child welfare policies which appear to promote and reinforce the “uninvolved” father, both in child maltreatment but also in engagement and inclusion in child protection services. This study includes a review of 116 randomly selected child protection files from a child protection agency in a midsized city in Canada. Analyses of policies, practices, literature, and case reviews demonstrates the pervasiveness of the irrelevance of fathers in the child welfare system. The study finds that almost 50% of fathers are considered irrelevant to mothers and children; over 60% of fathers deemed of risk to children are not contacted by child protection agencies, and are not contacted 50% of the time when of risk to mothers.
Fathers are often not considered placement resources, even when children will be placed in permanent guardianship and are often not identified by mothers for economic and welfare related reasons. There is an inherent focus by majority white, young female workers to promote the mother as protector and responsible agent for change in the father, even when she is the victim. Furthermore, the study notes that social work education does not provide discourse on engaging fathers, which further propagates responsibility on women and the invisibility of men for the care of children in the child welfare system.
Cyr, M. and M. E. Lamb (2009). Assessing the effectiveness of the NICHD investigative interview protocol when interviewing French-speaking alleged victims of child sexual abuse in Quebec. Child Abuse & Neglect, 33(5), 257-268.
There have been many previous studies that have explored the effectiveness of the NICHD investigative interview protocol when interviewing alleged victims of sexual abuse. This is the first study to be conducted by researchers who did not develop the tool, and the authors hope to provide evidence of applicability to French speaking children. This study used 83 protocol guided interviews conducted by police officers and social workers that were then matched with 83 non-protocol guided interviews with children who have been referred to police or child protection services following an allegation of sexual abuse (n= 166). Children ranged in age from 3 to 13 (mean age of 9 years of age, SD=2.5), and 60% were female. Alleged perpetrators comprised of immediate family members, extended family members, acquaintances, and strangers, 55%, 12%, 28%, and 4%, respectively. The protocol was divided into pre-substantive, substantive, and termination groupings. Each grouping was translated into French and only substantive parts of interviews were coded. Details were categorized as either central or peripheral.
Protocol guided interviews provided more accurate, “central” information than non-protocol guided interviews. Open ended invitations were 3 times more common, whereas more directive, option-posing, or suggestive utterances were less likely in protocol guided interviews. Furthermore, protocol guided interviews required 25% fewer questions from the interviewers to obtain the same information. The authors found, however, that more direct, immediate feedback was needed given the unfamiliarity of the interviewers to the protocol. The authors note that in light of universal applicability, this may be an issue in the context of time constraint.