To return to Convening's homepage, click here.
To return to Convening XXIX's Table of Contents, click here.
Anne Pezzillo, LCPC
Children's Advocacy Clinic
1340 S. Michigan Ave., Rm. 104,
Chicago, IL 60640
Children exposed to domestic violence exhibit emotional, behavioral and social responses to trauma. Many children feel
guilty for not stopping the abuse. They experience feelings of anxiety, low self-esteem, confusion, depression, and
embarrassment related to the trauma. In experiencing the cycle of violence, children may feel responsible for "keeping
the peace," they may try to protect their mother and express fear of their mother being killed, and learn that romantic
relationships are about being hurt or hurting your partner.
Because domestic violence and child abuse frequently co-occur, children are at risk for not only being an indirect target
of the perpetrator, but may also experience direct physical abuse and neglect. Children frequently experience nightmares
and difficulty sleeping. They become easily distracted and lack impulse control.
In social settings and within their own family, children exposed to domestic violence may begin to solve conflicts
through violence. Alternately, they may become shy and isolate themselves from others. They are at risk to repeat the
cycle of violence in their own relationships as teenagers and adults.
The Children's Advocacy Clinic, located in the Cook County's Centralized Domestic Violence Courth, provides services
to adults and children who have experienced domestic violence. While some courts across the country provide childcare
for children whose parents are attending court, the Children's Advocacy Clinic is the first of its kind to add a voluntary
mental health screening system to address the impact of domestic violence on victims and their children. This
innovative program was added to the children's services at Domestic Violence Court in June of 1999.
Many women and children initially visit the Children's Advocacy Clinic within a few days of an abusive incident.
Licensed clinicians interview the parent and child separately to assess for effects of trauma. Children are first asked to
draw a picture or tell a story about their family. Second, they are encouraged to verbalize their feelings and experiences
about any violence they may have witnessed in their home. Finally, in closing the interview, children are reassured that
the violence in their home is not their fault and their feelings are normalized. The assessment is useful for information
gathering, educating parents about the impact of domestic violence on children, and also acts as a clinical intervention.
Clinicians provide service referrals to adults and families to address identified needs including counseling, shelter, and
legal resources. Clinicians are also available to provide ongoing counseling services to victims and their children.
To return to Convening's homepage, click here.
To return to Convening XXIX's Table of Contents, click here.