The subject of the research presented in this paper is focused on the
assessments of experts in social welfare centres on the consequences,
security risks and recovery needs of children witnesses of violence in
parental partnerships, which were submitted to the court in the proceedings
for protection from domestic violence associated with the proceedings in a
marital dispute, in which the court decides on the exercise of parental
rights. The aim is to describe the characteristics of professional
assessments and opinions and to map the present problems and point out
possible improvements, in accordance with the principle of safety/security
of victims and the standard of best interests of the child. In processing
this complex topic, thematic analysis was used, as a qualitative descriptive
technique. The sample consisted of two groups of reports on the findings and
opinion of the social welfare centres, in 62 cases completed in 2010/2011,
and 15 cases completed in 2019/2020. The legal and by-law changes related to
the subject of the research were expected to produce a positive effect on
the content and quality of expert assessments in the second, later sample.
The conducted analysis indicated an unsystematic approach and the absence of
relevant data, which is also present in the reports from the later period. A
positive change was observed regarding the assessment of security risks, but
it was insufficiently integrated with the proposals for entrusting custody
and determining the model of contact between children and the violent
parent. Although it is acknowledged in public documents that children are
also victims of violence when witnessing it and that the safety of the
victim is the organizing general principle of protection from domestic
violence, assessment methods are insufficiently operationalized and the
understanding of the difference between partner conflict and violence/abuse
of the woman is inadequate. Decisions on children?s contact with the violent
parent remain inconsistent with protection measures against domestic
violence, and when they are not respected, there are no or rare guardianship
authorities? proposals to ban contact, even when the consequences for
children and their relationship with mothers are obvious. Therefore, it
would be important to supplement and refine the guidelines in existing
treatment protocols, develop and harmonize specific expert guidance for
these assessments, specialize knowledge and increase the experts? capacity
and resources, develop specific and available services, in line with
relevant standards. An increased number of researches on various aspects of
professional practice in this sphere would also be important for progress in
the field.
Domestic Violence Spillover into the Workplace: An Examination of the Difference between Legal and Ethical Requirements