This article, written by researchers in Alberta, reviews the research evidence on the effects on children of exposure intimate partner violence, and provides an analysis of examples of child protection policies and legislation from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States. Legislation or policy decisions that define child exposure to violence in the home as maltreated may further victimize women and their children and may exacerbate their problems in some situations. The authors review policies from several developed countries, showing the various ways that child exposure to domestic violence has been dealt with in child protection policy, discuss the potential implications for abused mothers and their children, and highlight numerous policy options.