A national scan was conducted to collect information about specific interventions for children exposed to domestic violence. While there are many interventions for children exposed to various forms of trauma, and some of the programs listed in our database are designed to address multiple traumas, our search focused on finding program models that specifically address exposure to domestic violence. Searches were conducted in Entrez PubMed and Academic Search Premier to identify publications about programs, interventions, and treatment for children exposed to violence and other trauma. Articles identified through these searches yielded additional references to other relevant publications.
Several resource documents provided extensive listings of programs for children experiencing trauma. Trauma-Informed Interventions: Clinical and Research Evidence and Culture-Specific Information Project (National Child Traumatic Stress Network, 2008), is referenced in many of the program profiles found on this website. Two other useful resources which are available on-line are:
- Evidence-based & Evidence-informed Programs: Prevention Program Descriptions Classified by CBCAP Evidence-based and Evidence-informed Categories (FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention [CBCAP], 2009)
- Evidence-Based Practices for Children Exposed to Violence: A Selection from Federal Databases (Department of Health and Social Services, 2011)
An extensive review of web-based resources identified several websites that feature information on evidence-based and evidence-informed practices including:
- National Child Traumatic Stress Network
- Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Program Model Program Guide
- California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare
- Promising Practices Network on Children, Families, and Communities
- Center for Children and Families in the Justice System
Experts in the field of domestic violence and childhood exposure to violence/trauma throughout the United States and Canada were contacted to ask their input about best practices. Conversations with domestic violence advocates, researchers, policy makers, educators, and other experts often led to additional contacts who are working with emerging and innovative programs.
Program developers and researchers were contacted to provide additional information and edit program profiles that we compiled for their programs. In some cases, program staff did not respond to requests for information. A program may have been in transition or staff did not feel it was appropriate to create a profile at this time. If there was insufficient information available to develop or complete a program profile, then the intervention is not profiled on this website. As work in the field continues, it is anticipated that additional programs will be added to this database to provide up-to-date and comprehensive information on the impressive range of interventions for children exposed to violence.