Connecting the dots [Practice framework]: A strengths-based practice framework for responding to the needs and priorities of children and young people with disability who experience domestic and family violence

This practice framework outlines the key principles and elements of strength-based practice when working with children and young people with disability and experiences of domestic and family violence (DFV). It will be useful to practitioners and practice designers working across systems that encounter young people with disability.

This strength-based collaborative practice framework was developed out of the “Connecting the dots: Understanding the DFV experiences of children and young people with disability within and across sectors” research project, led by Sally Robinson of Flinders University. This research found that children with disability make up approximately 30 per cent of children who have experienced domestic and family violence (DFV). When seeking help for these experiences, this group and their families often encounter multiple service systems, including health, justice, police, DFV and child protection, and report a range of unmet service needs.

This framework is the latest in a series of ANROWS resources that prioritise the need to understand children and young people experiencing DFV as victims and survivors in their own right. Integrating evidence from research, practice theories, ethical principles and lived expertise, it outlines key principles and elements for strengths-based practice when working with children and young people with disability who have experienced DFV.