Strategies for Pediatric Providers
Providing care for a child means caring for their whole family.
IPV impacts the whole family
Supporting parents and caregivers is a critical part of supporting children's health and wellbeing. Pediatric clinical settings provide unique opportunities for supporting families experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV).
Providing Healing-Centered Support in Clinical Pediatric Settings
Starting conversations with parents and caregivers about stress and relationships at home can make a difference.
AAP: The Role of The Pediatrician Clinical Guidelines
Supporting Survivors of IPV and Their Children: What Pediatricians Can Do
Preventing Violence in Families
Prevention efforts are critical to support the well-being of children and break the cycle of family violence.
- Increasing Resilience: Primary Healthcare Providers' Opportunities to Promote Protective Factors Before and After Childhood Trauma
- Center on the Developing Child: Resilience
- Strengthening Families: Youth Thrive-A Protective Factors Approach for Older Youth
Find all of our patient education and safety resources on our online store!
IPV and Child Maltreatment
40-50% of people experience IPV.
2 of 3 children are exposed to violence and trauma.
Experience of caregiver IPV as a child may have negative and lifelong health impacts.
- Impacts of IPV on Child and Adolescent Health: What pediatricians should know
- Effects of child exposure to IPV
But there's hope, people can heal.
Caring and consistent adults in a child's life help build resilience and promote prevention. Learn more.
Children's Experiences of IPV
Pediatric health care professionals may be survivors too.
- Recognize: How Trauma Responses Can Show Up in the Workplace
- Interactive Self-Care Tool
- HOPE: Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences
Resources for Parents and Caregivers
Providing Healing-Centered Support in Clinical Pediatric Settings
Check out our National Health Resource Center on Domestic Violence patient and provider resources.
Talking with Caregivers
Talking with all patients' caregivers about safe, healthy relationships and how relationships affect health, (rather than screening), can improve family health + safety, and prevent violence.
Providing universal education, a part of the CUES intervention, in pediatric settings focuses on connection to resources for everyone.
What to do in every visit
Talk to all caregivers about safe and healthy relationships, as well as about resources for support.
- Universal Education in Pediatric Health Care Settings (Poster for providers)
- Resources for Addressing Adolescent Relationship Abuse
- Strengthen Families, Prevent Violence (Poster for caregivers)
- Video: Addressing IPV in Pediatric Care Settings
- Connected Parents, Connected Kids (Safety Card)
- Additional Resources for Pediatric Health Care Professional
- Scripts for providing universal education (CUES Intervention)
What to do when you think IPV is happening
Universal education helps provide resources and support for everyone, including those who don't disclose, and can help reduce harm for families.
- Video: Signs of IPV in Pediatric Clinical Settings
- Video: Identifying IPV in Clinical Care Settings
- Video: How to Support a Caregiver with an Upset Partner in the Office
- Sample Scripts for Engaging People Who Use Violence
What to do when someone discloses
We don't need a disclosure to offer support. Disclosure is not the goal, but it may happen.
Partner with advocates to support families
Make warm referrals to trusted family-serving partners.
Pediatric health care providers can expand their care network for children and families by partnering with domestic/sexual violence advocates, family-serving organizations and culturally-specific community-based programs.
Moving from Mandatory Reporting to Mandatory Supporting
Studies show that mandatory reporting can do more harm than good, and is often a barrier to seeking support for survivors. Prioritizing healing-centered support in mandatory reporting can help mitigate harm, center child safety and promote survivor autonomy.
- Promising Futures: Mandatory Reporting
- Compendium Of State and Territory Statutes And Policies On Domestic Violence And Health Care
Safe Documentation
Consider ways to increase safety when IPV is in the pediatric health record.