Co-Occurrence of Intimate Partner Violence and Child Maltreatment: Service Providers' Perceptions

Intimate partner violence (IPV) places children at risk for maltreatment (CM). It is critical for both IPV and CM professionals to assess the possibility of the co-occurrence of both of these types of family violence, whose risk factors are nearly identical. However, little is known about the attitudes and perceptions of child welfare (CW), IPV, child protection, or other related professionals when serving families where both of these circumstances may occur. This study examined the perceptions of service providers in Hillsborough County, Florida on the co-occurrence of CM and IPV. Findings demonstrate the inequitable knowledge, training, and perceived ability to deal with the co-occurrence of IPV and CM among professionals from different employment areas. These discrepancies serve as opportunities for different agencies to collaborate in reducing knowledge gaps and increasing respondent's capacity to effectively identify and intervene with victims.