The information in this program outline is provided by the program representative and edited by the CEBC staff. Child Witness to Violence Project has been reviewed by the CEBC in the area of: Domestic/Intimate Partner Violence: Services for Women and their Children, but lacks the necessary research evidence to be given a Scientific Rating.

Child Witness to Violence Project at Boston Medical Center provides trauma-focused clinical intervention to children age 8 and younger who have been exposed to domestic or community violence. Approximately 150 families are seen each year; 85% of cases seen are for exposure to domestic violence; 65% of the children are age 6 or younger. The intervention requires the active participation of at least one parent and is focused on addressing the traumatic experiences of the child within the context the child-parent relationship. The intervention incorporates principles of Child-Parent Psychotherapy (Lieberman, Van Horn, et al.) and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Cohen, Mannarino, et al).* Components of the intervention include advocacy and case management, parent guidance, along with dyadic and/or individual psychotherapy. Services are primarily outpatient and office-based.

*These programs have been rated by the CEBC under the Trauma Treatment for Children topic area.

Target Population: Children age 8 and younger, with the majority being under age six, from a racially diverse urban area.

For children/adolescents ages: 0 – 8

For parents/caregivers of children ages: 0 – 8

• Provides developmentally sensitive early childhood assessments of trauma that are informed by a knowledge of the dynamics of domestic violence.
• Provides developmentally sensitive and domestic violence-informed clinical intervention focused on strengthening the child-parent relationship.
• Provides a trauma-focused intervention that targets maladaptive symptoms in the child.
• Provides parenting guidance when appropriate.
• Provides case management/advocacy when appropriate.

Child Witness to Violence Project was designed with a child/adolescent component that addresses the following presenting problems and symptoms for children/adolescents ages 0 – 8:

• Exposure to the trauma of domestic or community violence; symptoms associated with exposure to violence: aggression, sleep disturbances; conflict in the child-parent relationship; learning difficulties; and difficult peer relationships.

Child Witness to Violence Project was designed with a parent/caregiver component that addresses the following presenting problems and symptoms for parents/caregivers of children ages 0 – 8:

• Conflict in the parent-child relationship; lack of understanding/awareness of the impact of trauma on children; disruption of attachment between parent and child; and stresses/trauma associated with being a victim of domestic violence.

Child Witness to Violence Project was not designed to be conducted in a group setting, and has not been tested for use in a group setting.

Recommended Intensity:

Weekly 1 to 1.5 hour sessions.

Recommended Duration:

At least five months.

This program is typically conducted in a(n):

• Birth Family Home
• Outpatient Clinic

This program does not include a homework component.

Child Witness to Violence Project has materials available in a language other than English:

Spanish

For information on which materials are available in this language, please check on the program's website or contact the program representative (contact information is listed at the bottom of this page).

The typical resources for implementing the program are:

• Play therapy offices stocked with therapeutic toys, books, art supplies, games and materials, private space to conduct all sessions
• Child and adult waiting areas

Master's or Doctorate-level licensed mental health clinicians.

There is a manual that describes how to implement this program, and there is training available for this program.

Training Contact:

• Maxine Weinreb, Ed.D
  maxine.weinreb@bmc.org
  phone: (617) 414-3662

Training is obtained:

Onsite at Boston Medical Center, or at a site requested by interested professionals.

Number of days/hours:

2 days, 13 hours of training.

Additional Resources:

There currently are additional qualified resources for training:

• Alicia Lieberman and Patricia Van Horn
  Child Trauma Research Project
  San Francisco General Hospital
• Joy Osofsky
  Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center
  New Orleans, LA
• Julie Larrieu, PhD
  Tulane University Infant Team

This program has been reviewed and it was determined that this program lacks the type of published, peer-reviewed research that meets the CEBC criteria for a scientific rating of 1 – 5. Therefore, the program has been given the classification of "NR - Not able to be Rated." It was reviewed because it was identified by the topic expert as a program being used in the field, or it is being marketed and/or used in California with children receiving services from child welfare or related systems and their parents/caregivers. Some programs that are not rated may have published, peer-reviewed research that does not meet the above stated criteria or may have eligible studies that have not yet been published in the peer-reviewed literature. For more information on the "NR - Not able to be Rated" classification, please see the Scientific Rating Scale.

Child Welfare Outcomes: Not Specified

Currently, there are no published, peer-reviewed research studies for Child Witness to Violence Project.