Domestic Violence and Child Protection: a Police Responsibility?

In 1997, the authors undertook a collaborative research project with Barnardos, Australia, exploring domestic violence and child protection. The aim of the project was to develop and articulate a set of practice and policy principles to enhance future intervention with non-offending parents (over 98% of whom are women) and their children. The project involved three sages: observation of intake procedures at statutory child protection offices, including interviews with intake workers and managers; focus group interviews with practitioners (including police) working in statutory and non-government agencies; and interviews with women, young people and children who have lived with domestic violence. The paper draws on data obtained in the first two stages of the project. In the first stage of the project, the Police were identified as the main group to report children to the Department of Community Services, who were at risk because of domestic violence. In the second stage of the project again, the critical role played by the Police was identified. Practitioners recounted varying policing responses ranging from pro-active approaches to policing domestic violence, to minimal responses. This paper will consider the implications of these differing responses for the ‘policing of women’ . Introduction Over the last several years police have increasingly been called to protect and assist victims in domestic violence incidents. Children are present in a high percentage of these situations. In NSW Domest ic Violence Standard Operating Procedures (NSW Police Service, 1997a) provide police with policy and practice protocols to assist in the policing of domestic violence. Similarly the Child Protection Procedures for Recognising, Notifying and Responding to Child Abuse and Neglect (NSW Police Service,1997b, 10) provide police with directions for dealing with children in domestic violence situations. These procedures state that, when a child has been present at a domestic violence incident: as a victim, as a witness, as a perpetrator, police must notify the Department of Community Services. Police must also complete a Child Notification Form and fax a copy to the local Department of Community Service Office This paper will explore the role of police in domestic violence and child protection. It will draw from research currently being undertaken which explores the child protection implications of domestic violence. This project is being undertaken with an industry partner, Barnardos Australia. It comprises three discrete stages employing a range of different data collection methods. The first stage involved observation of intake practices as well as interviews of intake workers and assistant managers at five local offices of the Department of Community Services. In addition a sample of these referrals will be tracked over a two year period to ascertain the child protection practices that ensued following intake. In the second stage of the research focus group interviews were conducted with practitioners who are working with women and children who have lived with domestic violence (both in statutory and non-statutory organisations). The focus groups explored the policy and practice issues workers confront in relation to domestic violence as well as the strategies that they have found useful. In the third stage, which is currently being conducted, women, young people and children, who have lived with domestic violence, will be