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AimsThis systematic literature review aimed to explore how school-based mindfulness programmes have been adapted for use with young children in education settings, from ages three to nine years old.MethodSchool-based mindfulness interventions were assessed on quality using qualitative and quantitative frameworks. Important attitudinal principles and practical components of the school-based mindfulness interventions were analysed.FindingsThe results revealed vast heterogeneity across programme design and delivery. The majority of programmes used mindful movement, visuals/props, sensory activities, reflection on experiences and the use of metaphorical language to teach young children mindfulness. There appeared to be greater precedence for experiential practices than instructional practices such as attitudinal features. Mindfulness has been used mainly to support cognitive functioning, particularly attentional and executive functioning.LimitationsThe Covid-19 pandemic has delayed submission of this article, meaning that the most recent research findings might not be documented. The heterogeneity of the studies made drawing conclusions difficult.ConclusionsImplications for educational psychology practice and areas for future research are considered, particularly in relation to how educational psychologists can work with teachers to deliver effective and sustainable mindfulness interventions.

The rapid global spread of COVID-19 has put increased pressure on health and social service providers, including social workers who continued front line practice throughout the pandemic, engaging with some of the most vulnerable in society often experiencing multiple adversities alongside domestic violence and abuse (DVA). Movement restrictions and stay-at-home orders introduced to slow the spread of the virus, paradoxically leave these families at even greater risk from those within the home. Utilising a survey methodology combining both open- and closed-ended questions, this study captured a picture of social work practice in Ireland with families experiencing DVA during the early waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings highlight both the changes and challenges in work practices and procedures that limit social work assessment and quality contact with families, changes to the help-seeking behaviours from victims/survivors, as well as emerging innovative practice responses with enhanced use of technology. Implications for practice include an increased awareness of the risk and prevalence of DVA accelerated by the pandemic. Conclusions assert that social work assessment and intervention with families experiencing DVA must remain adaptive to the changing COVID-19 context and continue to develop innovative practice approaches.

This chapter explores the issues and global relevance of child protection and welfare in Ireland. It expounds on the evolving political context on the Island of Ireland being the reason behind the nation having two different and independent child protection systems. The chapter also focuses on the impact of Brexit, technologies, and migration while highlighting the importance of neighbouring jurisdictions working together. Technology and social media platforms have also enabled social workers to communicate, monitor, and analyze data on adults who might be a risk to children. On the other hand, migrants are at an increased risk of poverty and social exclusion as children from ethnic minority groups are over-represented in the Irish childcare system.

Children as young as pre-school are experiencing difficulties related to stress, anxiety and inattention which could be supported through the use of mindfulness. However, there is very little research on how to effectively deliver mindfulness approaches within Early Years (EYs) practice. A year-long action research project was conducted with an EYs setting to explore how EYs practitioners can effectively deliver mindfulness, understanding their perceptions of the impact, facilitators and challenges to successful implementation. Findings revealed various facilitating factors including: developing effective and inclusive mindfulness approaches; reflecting on practice; working collaboratively and creating a supportive community. Challenges included issues related to the school context and delivery of mindful approaches. Findings revealed perceived benefits for the children, staff and the EYs setting. Implications for practice suggest it is feasible for school psychologists to support EYs settings to develop mindfulness practices using an action research approach. Future research and study limitations are discussed.

When the COVID-19 pandemic manifested urgent concerns were raised around the globe about the increased risk that public health restrictions could pose for victims of domestic abuse. Governments, NGOs and community services swiftly responded to convey the message that services for victims were operational and restrictions did not apply to those fleeing harm. This paper reports on the various approaches used to communicate this public health messaging during COVID-19, further highlighting strengths and learning which could inform future crises messaging. It utilises data gathered through a rapid review and mapping of policy and practice initiatives across 4 high-middle income countries: UK, Australia, South Africa and Ireland. Four themes were identified: (1) Top-down: National media messaging; (2) Top-down: Political leadership; (3) Traditional media vs. social media and (4) Bottom-up messaging: Localised, community-based messaging. It was found that a strong, clear top-down stance on domestic abuse was perceived as beneficial during COVID-19. However, a stronger focus on evaluation, reach and impact, particularly for minority groups may be required. Newer forms of media were shown to have potential in conveying messaging to minority groups. Community and grassroots organizations demonstrated their experiential knowledge in reaching target audiences. Harnessing this expertise for future crises messaging may be valuable.

The impact of living with domestic violence and abuse has been recognised in policy and law in many jurisdictions as reaching the threshold of ‘significant harm’, with children’s exposure included in definitions of abuse and neglect that require mandatory reporting, alongside an emerging recognition of coercive control as central to both the perpetration of domestic violence and abuse, and how children experience it. Far from separation providing an end to this exposure, over two decades of research on child contact arrangements highlights how it can provide legitimate opportunities for abuse to continue. While the empirical evidence demonstrates that using violence against a partner impacts on men’s ability to parent their children pre-separation, and a burgeoning knowledge base and improved professional acumen appreciates the risk to children and mothers of ongoing and escalating abuse post-separation, the international practice of the presumption of contact continues to trump this empirical evidence in the overwhelming majority of cases. This not only fails to consider the risk that domestic violence and abuse poses to child safety, but serves further to marginalise children’s safety. Motivated by our collective experience across the domains of research, policy and practice, this commentary poses some difficult questions, challenging a conversation about both the risks and benefits of contact in the context of a history of domestic violence and abuse. In no particular order, this paper outlines our seven-point plan, which, based on the evidence, we believe could make a significant difference to safe(r) post-separation contact for children.

Although the relationship between mental ill health and the experience of domestic violence (DV) is well established, service users frequently report an absence of appropriate professional responses to disclosures. This study explored how professionals in an Irish mental health (MH) setting understand, identify and respond to DV in a multidisciplinary practice context. An exploratory qualitative approach using semi structured focus group interviews was employed. The data consisted of six focus group interviews with occupational therapists, nurses, consultant psychiatrists, junior doctors, social workers and psychologists working in acute MH care (n-27) in Ireland in 2018. Data was analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s Qualitative research in psychology, 3(2), 77-101, Braun and Clarke (2006) six stages of thematic analysis. Study findings suggest that a prevailing medical model along with an exclusive focus on physical forms of violence shaped the [in]visibility of the DV in this practice setting. DV issues were marginalized from MH care due to its construction as a social problem, with resultant patient needs related to DV not considered within the remit of MH services. This disconnected construction was influenced by several factors including training and education, fear, professional roles and team working in a dominant medical model. This study supports the need for conceptual frameworks that do not marginalize issues of DV in the discourse of MH care delivery but provide a foundation for service user centered collaboration across professional disciplines. The potential benefits of trauma informed care models in increasing recognition and response to DV in MH services are indicated by the present study.

his group is known within the literature to be a hard to reach population. This is namely due to their perceived vulnerability, as well as efforts to protect them by adult gatekeepers, and rigorous ethical procedures that make recruitment efforts often challenging. Consequently, this group, sometimes for their own protection, remain hidden in the shadows when it comes to research and practice responses that continue to operate from an adult-centric lens when children’s agency is not fully acknowledged. This paper sets out to discuss the multiple ways by which children who experience domestic violence both hide and are hidden by adults, rendering them invisible. Based on findings from a qualitative doctoral study that sought to explore children’s experiences of the police response to domestic violence, this paper highlights the interconnectedness between children’s invisibility in practice and research, and the processes through which they become and can remain hidden in these two arenas. The paper calls for a need to bring children’s experiences of domestic violence out of the shadows and to begin to acknowledge their agency and capacity as both research participants and victims.

Adolescents aged 13-24 years account for 23% of new HIV infections in Atlanta, indicating need for better HIV prevention strategies in this population. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is now approved for adolescent use. This study aims to understand the acceptability of and barriers to PrEP in adolescents and parents. We administered PrEP acceptability and barrier measures to HIV(-) 13-17 year olds and their parents from January to April 2016 in an adolescent clinic and emergency department in Atlanta, GA, stratifying by adolescent sexual activity. Acceptability scores (AS) and barrier scores (BS) were calculated by averaging survey answers 1-3. For AS, 1 was very unlikely to accept PrEP; concomitantly, BS near 3 indicated fewer barriers. Two-sample hypothesis testing, Pearson correlations, and linear regression were used. Of the 102 adolescent/parent dyads, 67% of adolescents were female, 94% black, with a mean age of 15.7 ± 1.5 years, and 31% were sexually active. Parents were 94% female, 96% black, with a mean age of 42.4 ± 8.9 years. AS averaged between somewhat to very likely to accept PrEP (2.4 ± 0.5 and 2.2 ± 0.6) in adolescents and parents, respectively. BS averaged between unlikely and somewhat likely to perceive barriers to PrEP (2.0 ± 0.4 and 1.9 ± 0.5) in adolescents and parents, respectively. The adolescent/parent dyad is likely to accept PrEP, regardless of sexual activity. Limitations include that nearly 70% of adolescents were not sexually active, and the study was conducted before PrEP approval by the Food and Drug Administration for those who are younger than 18 years. These results support future parent and adolescent education on PrEP.

The second European Conference on Domestic Violence (ECDV) was held in Porto, Portugal in September 2017. Given the interest in and focus on children and adolescents at both the first and second ECDV, and the identified need to gather research and researchers working in the field of children and domestic violence in Europe, the JOFV made a call for a special issue on European research on children, adolescents and domestic violence. The call has resulted in this double issue of 17 articles which comment on research conducted across Europe, authored from differed scientific backgrounds and reflecting diversity in topics and methods. The work reflects not only how far we have come in Europe on developing research based knowledge on children and domestic violence, but it has also has played an important role in identifying multiple gaps and address needs for the future..

Constructions of the child victim of domestic violence (DV) have changed over the last number of years from once passive bystander to active agent and victim in their own right. Although police as first responders are more aware of the risk to children living with DV, there continues to be a disparity among officers in recognizing and responding to the child as victim. Drawing on qualitative research conducted in Ireland involving interviews with 10 children (most aged 7–9) and 14 police officers, this paper looks at how the child is seen by police as victim during a DV call-out and the way through which children’s coping strategies may indirectly make them a less obvious victim to warrant a direct response from police. A story-telling approach captured children’s views in an ethically safe manner. Interviews with police were semi-structured and explored individual officer’s views and experiences of responding to DV incidents with children present. A thematic analysis underpinned by theoretical principles aligned to a social constructionist perspective and an understanding of the child as social actor was applied to the data. Children continue to be unseen by police and are not engaged with in a way that recognizes their victim status at a DV incident. Policing models that focus purely on the criminal justice aspect render the child’s experience invisible. A reconceptualizing of the child victim as involved actor in the DV home is required if police are to involve children in the response and for the child’s experience to be fully acknowledged.

Domestic violence and abuse (DVA) risk assessment and management processes are a critical part of the response to such violence because they help direct criminal justice system and policing resources effectively; ensure perpetrators are held accountable; as well as protect victims and prevent future victimisation, including intimate partner homicide. International strategies to address DVA and reduce homicide risk include the introduction of standardised risk assessment and management tools, currently utilised in many states. This chapter presents a comprehensive review of the available international literature regarding the design, implementation and evaluation of risk assessment and management tools, locating this review in an evidence base concerning international best practice. It argues for the critical inclusion of a victim-centred approach, inclusive of gender and intersectionality aspects, in addition to an assessment of coercive control in risk assessment instruments, to promote their predictive validity and effectiveness. While grounded largely in a criminal justice context, the main body of the work in the chapter may be of interest and relevance to broad practice and professional contexts.

This article presents findings from a national survey of social workers in Ireland in which information was gathered on social work practice with groups. This article sets out the background to the survey, a review of relevant literature, the methodologies employed to conduct the national survey, and a selective set of findings from the research. The analysis reveals that groupwork is used across all practice fields in Ireland and is more widely used than previously recognised.

Axon degeneration is a central pathological feature of many neurodegenerative diseases. Sterile alpha and Toll/interleukin-1 receptor motif-containing 1 (SARM1) is a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD

In the context of contemporary Ireland, this chapter highlights unique features of the system of social work education in Ireland, a system which has been shaped by the wider social context, including key economic, political, and social developments at a time of rapid social change. Despite the many challenges experienced by the profession during periods of economic austerity, political strife, and social change, this chapter argues that the education system has been an important component of the professionalisation of social work in Ireland and has played a significant role in responding to the myriad of competing demands raised by these challenges.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child explicitly calls for children to be granted the right to participate in legal proceedings that affect them. Despite this legal obligation an...

The degree of exposure to pediatric and adolescent gynecology (PAG) varies across residency programs in obstetrics and gynecology and pediatrics. Nevertheless, these programs are responsible for training residents and providing opportunities within their programs to fulfill PAG learning objectives. To that end, the North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology has taken a leadership role in PAG resident education by creating and systematically updating the Short Curriculum. This curriculum outlines specific learning objectives that are central to PAG education and lists essential resources for learners' reference. This updated curriculum replaces the previous 2014 publication with added content, resources, and updated references. Additionally, attention to the needs of learners in pediatrics and adolescent medicine is given greater emphasis in this revised North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology Short Curriculum 2.0.

This article provides the reader with an overview of the literature relating to family support services while highlighting a number of key issues for consideration in evaluating these diverse and complex interventions. Drawing on a case example of a family support service evaluation carried out in Ireland in 2014 by the authors, this article will outline the range of methods used in this evaluation, identifying their suitability to evaluating services of this nature. A selection of key findings is also provided. The authors propose that the methods used in this evaluation, while having some limitations, are particularly suited to the challenging work of evaluating the outcomes of family support services and serve to incorporate the values and principles of family support such as partnership and collaboration.

Grounded in an ontological, theoretical and methodological position that views children's views and experiences of domestic violence as critical to our understanding of those experiences, this lett ...

Concern with the impact on children of discontinued parent-child relationships following parental separation or divorce has resulted in a depth of empirical knowledge in the maintenance of those relationships through the medium of ‘contact’. While research consistently demonstrates that post-separation/divorce parenting arrangements work best when they are informally arranged between two parents who are committed to making those plans work in the interests of their children, the emotive nature of the separation/divorce experience for many families may demand formal and legal regulation. Research with families involved in post-separation/divorce contact fails to identify a solitary magic ingredient that makes contact work or not work; rather a wide range of factors which operate interactively, interdependently and dynamically, with the attitudes, actions and interactions of the key family players shaping contact and determining its quality. This paper provides a critical review of the international literature on post-separation/divorce contact, identifying and reflecting on the key ingredients or factors central to the successful occurrence of ‘quality contact’. Drawing on the literature reviewed, a framework consisting of four separate yet interrelated layers is presented in order to both identify and explore these dynamic factors that quality contact is dependent upon.

Enterococcus hirae is a gram-positive coccus that is rarely implicated in human disease and has not been reported in pediatric patients. We report a case of catheter-associated bloodstream infection and prolonged bacteremia in a 7-month-old infant dependent on total parenteral nutrition. The species was identified by the VITEK2 system and confirmed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry. The organisms was susceptible to ampicillin, vancomycin, and high-level gentamicin. The patient was treated with vancomycin and gentamicin with adjunctive vancomycin lock therapy but had persistent bacteremia. Therapy was changed to dual β-lactam therapy of ampicillin and ceftriaxone with synergistic gentamicin, which led to clearance of the enterococcal bacteremia. E hirae is an unusual species that may be difficult for the microbiology laboratory to identify. This is the first pediatric case and the second case of invasive E hirae in the United States.

Study Objective Quantitative data suggest that adolescent users of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC), compared with short-acting methods (pill, patch, ring, depot medroxyprogesterone acetate [DMPA]), might be less likely to use condoms. We qualitatively describe and explain adolescent contraceptive users’ motivations for condom use, including variation according to contraceptive type. Design Individual, in-depth qualitative interviews, analyzed thematically. Setting Participants were recruited from public family planning clinics and an adolescent medicine clinic, as well as university and other community settings in Atlanta, Georgia. Participants Sexually active contraceptive users aged 17-19 years old (n = 30), including LARC (n = 10), DMPA (n = 10), and oral contraceptive (n = 10) users. Results Of the 30 participants, most (n = 25; 83%) used condoms with their more effective contraceptive method, although 11 of 25 used them inconsistently (44%). Oral contraceptive users were particularly motivated to use condoms for pregnancy prevention, because of concerns about contraceptive method efficacy and a desire to be on “the safe side.” In contrast, LARC users were primarily motivated by sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention. DMPA users’ motivations were more mixed. Across contraceptive type, factors influencing condom use motivations included sexual health education, personal awareness and/or experience, and perceived consequences and risk. Conclusion Because all participants were using an effective contraceptive method, it is notable that pregnancy prevention was a prominent motivator for using condoms, although LARC users reported STI prevention to be a more important motivation. Parental and school-based sexual health education that clearly addresses STI prevention in addition to pregnancy prevention has the potential to influence condom use motivations and behavior.

Background: This paper reports on a research study to inform the development of a specialist role to support front line public health nurses (PHNs) working with vulnerable families and at risk children in Ireland.Aims: This study aimed to investigate the position of a leading role and explore the implications of such change.Methods: Focus group and semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with ten purposively selected participants in public health nursing, social work and a non-governmental children’s organisation working in disadvantaged areas in Dublin.Results: Assistant directors of public health nursing are in a key position to inform decisions regarding the children’s services.Conclusion: Access to support and appropriate supervision are fundamental resource requirements for PHNs who work with vulnerable families and at risk children. The introduction of a specialist-leading role to support these PHN’s is essential to sustaining best practice.

This chapter provides children and young people with a prominent place at the research table, giving voice to their lived experiences. It considers some definitional and methodological issues, proceeding to map some prevalence data on children's exposure before providing an account of the impact of that exposure across numerous dimensions. The chapter explores impact within and across the following domains: domestic abuse as an abusive context for children, parenting in the context of domestic abuse, considering impact through a developmental lens, multiple adversities co-occurring with domestic abuse, and post-separation contact and continued abusive experiences. A potently consistent message resonating through the literature regarding best practice with children exposed to domestic abuse, regardless of their age and developmental stage, is the need for this exposure to end. Post-separation contact is a potentially abusive experience for children who are 'caught in the crossfire' and who are exposed to the physical, sexual and psychological abuse of their mother during contact visits.

This paper explores the experience of post-separation fathering, in the context of a prior history of domestic abuse from the perspectives of mothers, fathers, children and professionals participating in a three-year doctoral research project. A mixed methodological research design conducted over two phases involved both the completion of survey questionnaires by 219 mothers and the participation in focus groups and individual interviews by children and young people, mothers, fathers and professionals. The findings highlight clear evidence of post-separation contact facilitating the continued abuse of women and children. The findings also highlight a lack of attention to the parenting of abusive men who were identified as struggling to realise their fathering aspirations and take responsibility for the impact of their abusive behaviour on their children and ex-partners. Particular constructions of family life are found to sustain the often unmonitored presence of abusive men in post-separation family life. This paper concludes by asserting the need to prioritise the construction of fathers as ‘risk’ in the context of post-separation father-child contact. Doing so does not mean excluding fathers from children's lives; rather, what is critical is to find ways to ensure that abusive men can be ‘good enough’ fathers. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. ‘Clear evidence of post-separation contact facilitating the continued abuse of women and children’ Key Practitioner Messages Separation is not a ‘vaccine against domestic violence’, with women and children at risk of continued abuse in the post-separation period. Abusive men need to be held responsible for their abusive behaviour before the potential for safe contact can be considered. All of the key players – mothers, children and fathers – may need support from the impact that domestic violence has on parenting capacity and family life. ‘Abusive men need to be held responsible for their abusive behaviour before the potential for safe contact can be considered’

Developing quality relationships is recognised as an active ingredient for effective interventions with young people in care. Essentially, care staff has the opportunity and capacity to positively influence the young person's experiences in care, through the positive relationships they form. This paper presents selectively on the findings of two separate but related qualitative Irish studies exploring relationship-based approaches in residential child care practice, from the perspectives of both residential child care workers and young care leavers. Thirty-two professionals and four care leavers participated in either focus group or individual interviews. The findings are integrated in this paper with the wider literature on young people leaving care, with the aim of identifying core knowledge that is needed by service providers who are tasked with the support of young people making the transition out of care and towards independent living. In this paper we attempt to identify the knowledge base on relationship-building which is needed by care staff in order to carry out their role. It is argued that an explicit knowledge base is overdue now that the complex needs of young people in care are increasingly visible through advances in research and more recently the emerging literature concerning the personal testimonies of care graduates.

In the absence of mandatory planning and support to assist all young people who leave care in Ireland, after-care provision is a ‘‘neglected’’ area of service provision and has been criticised for being inconsistent and ad hoc. The benefits of keyworker support for young people making the transition out of care is more clearly articulated within the literature and across policy statements and is firmly embedded as a model of good practice in working with young people in residential care. The study reported here sets out to conduct an in-depth exploration of the concept of keyworking. This is achieved by engaging young care-leavers, residential care providers and after-care support workers in qualitative interviews. By asking young people and care providers about their experiences of keyworking, it attempts to drill down into both the benefits and possible downsides of this practice model. The findings and discussion presented here are based on the pilot stage of this study, and although the findings can only be regarded as tentative in nature some important issues have emerged from the pilot stage as reported here.

Drawing on a three-year Irish research study, this paper focuses on the decision-making process in child contact, specifically the assessment and management of risk of continuing abuse to young people previously exposed to domestic abuse. A mixed methodological approach involved the completion of survey questionnaires by 219 mothers and the participation in focus groups and individual interviews by 16 children and young people, nine mothers, six fathers and 30 professionals. Non-participant observation of the Family Law Court was also conducted. This paper highlights particular concerns regarding the neglect, emotional, physical and sexual abuse of children, which was found to continue through the facility of post-separation contact. Critical reflection on the decision-making process regarding contact with domestically abusive fathers highlights the absence of a child-centred assessment process that prioritises ascertaining the child's views and wishes. Underpinning this decision-making process was a pres...

Background Testing for high-risk genotypes of the human papillomavirus (HR HPV) has been fully integrated into the management algorithms for the prevention of cervical cancer. The literature is limited with regard to the evaluation of the clinical performance of laboratory-developed tests (LDT) utilizing Invader® V2.0 assay (ThirdWave/Hologic, Madison, WI, USA) for the detection of HR HPV. Objectives To evaluate the clinical performance of Invader V2.0 LDT by determining its sensitivity, negative predictive value (NPV), specificity and positive predictive value (PPV). Study Design This study evaluated Invader V2.0 assay results from 12,490 SurePath® Pap specimens and 1,931 cervical biopsies in order to assess the clinical performance of the Invader V2.0 assay. The cervical biopsy results were correlated with Invader V2.0 results to determine clinical sensitivity, NPV, clinical specificity, and PPV. Results The clinical sensitivity and NPV of Invader V2.0 LDT for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 3 (CIN 3) or higher were 97.4% and 99.1% respectively. The clinical specificity and PPV for CIN 3 were 10.3% and 3.7% respectively. Conclusions The results support the use of the Invader V2.0 in identifying patients who are at low risk for CIN 3 or higher. The power of the assay implies that it could be used as a primary screening tool for prevention of cervical cancer if a paradigm shift in cervical screening ever occurs.

Objective This article reviews the literature concerning the impact of exposure to domestic violence on the health and developmental well-being of children and young people. Impact is explored across four separate yet inter-related domains (domestic violence exposure and child abuse; impact on parental capacity; impact on child and adolescent development; and exposure to additional adversities), with potential outcomes and key messages concerning best practice responses to children's needs highlighted. Method A comprehensive search of identified databases was conducted within an 11-year framework (1995–2006). This yielded a vast literature which was selectively organized and analyzed according to the four domains identified above. Results This review finds that children and adolescents living with domestic violence are at increased risk of experiencing emotional, physical and sexual abuse, of developing emotional and behavioral problems and of increased exposure to the presence of other adversities in their lives. It also highlights a range of protective factors that can mitigate against this impact, in particular a strong relationship with and attachment to a caring adult, usually the mother. Conclusion Children and young people may be significantly affected by living with domestic violence, and impact can endure even after measures have been taken to secure their safety. It also concludes that there is rarely a direct causal pathway leading to a particular outcome and that children are active in constructing their own social world. Implications for interventions suggest that timely, appropriate and individually tailored responses need to build on the resilient blocks in the child's life. Practice implications This study illustrate the links between exposure to domestic violence, various forms of child abuse and other related adversities, concluding that such exposure may have a differential yet potentially deleterious impact for children and young people. From a resilient perspective this review also highlights range of protective factors that influence the extent of the impact of exposure and the subsequent outcomes for the child. This review advocates for a holistic and child-centered approach to service delivery, derived from an informed assessment, designed to capture a picture of the individual child's experience, and responsive to their individual needs.

This paper reports on a study undertaken in the Republic of Ireland during 2005 and is based on the experiences of children and young people who have lived with domestic violence. The objectives of the study were to explore the impact of domestic violence on children, identify their needs and recommend appropriate interventions to be brokered through a centrally based women's support service. Data were gathered from 70 participants, including 37 service providers/volunteers, 11 mothers and 22 children and young people who had lived in violent environments. The data indicated that children respond in unique ways to living with domestic violence, and that services to meet their needs must be tailored to suit their individual situations. The impact of domestic violence on their lives manifested itself with regard to their sense of fear and anxiety in relation to themselves, their siblings and their mothers; their self-esteem and sense of being ‘different’, their relationships (including ambivalent relationships with their fathers); their experiences of education and their sense of a lost childhood. The final report for the study was based on the total data collection, but this paper will concentrate primarily on the material elicited from the children and young people. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This paper reports the findings of an exploratory study of the response of social workers within a community care setting, in a large Dublin suburb, to cases involving men's abuse of women. This research aims to focus on what child protection workers do regarding this abuse, and what they say about what they do, thereby giving readers a sense of the action taking place in this social work team. The data, generated from both qualitative and quantitative methodological research, reflects this aim, as it taps into the working model of responses to men's abuse of women held by social workers, and identifies what influences that, thereby reflecting the realities and constraints of everyday work. At the time the research was carried out (2000), the results confirm that the prevalence of cases involving men's abuse of women on this team was in line with international findings. This research revealed an absence of a team policy, an agreed definition of intimate violence in this context and agency practice guidelines, and illuminated how these gaps act as a deterrent to effective intervention. This paper explores some of the ethical and practical dilemmas that may arise for child protection social workers intervening in cases where the abuse of women by men is present. Recommendations arising from this research identify a need for a clear policy and best practice guidelines for social work staff in relation to this abuse.