From Collaboration to Consolidation: Developing a More Expansive Model for Responding to Family Violence

Abstract

Academics and activists have frequently called for increased collaboration and communication between domestic violence and child welfare agencies as a means of more effectively responding to the impact of domestic violence on children and in recognition of the co-occurrence of domestic violence and child maltreatment. This Article reviews whether efforts based on the Greenbook and other initiatives calling for collaboration have led to any appreciable decrease in family violence. The Article finds evidence to suggest that there has not been significant improvement in the incidence or severity of family violence and more radical responses to family violence are needed. It proposes a decisive move from collaboration and communication to a consolidation of domestic violence and child welfare agencies that would fund domestic violence agencies to provide services to families experiencing domestic violence except in families where the harm or threat of harm to the children is severe. This approach would require child welfare agencies to refer all but the most serious cases of family violence to domestic violence agencies, which would be funded to respond to family violence issues holistically.

Keywords: domestic violence agencies, child welfare agencies, family violence