Women with disabilities experiencing domestic violence and abuse: child safety focused practice with person-centred principles

The disability community experiences complex and unique challenges and vulnerabilities in relation to both domestic violence and child protection and welfare. Notably, women with disabilities are significantly more likely to experience domestic violence and abuse (DVA) than women without disabilities. At the intersection of disability, DVA and child protection and welfare (CPW) however, professional intervention can be experienced by workers as both complex and contradictory. While intervention may involve rigorous, child safety focussed assessment of the fitness and protective capacity of the mother who is the victim of DVA, this process can radically augment feelings of powerlessness, anguish and fear for mothers caught in an abusive situation through no fault of their own. Responding to these complexities and contradictions, this article presents a focussed commentary on the literature on child protection and welfare work with women with disabilities experiencing DVA. Specific consideration will be given to how the principles and practices of person-centred theory can optimise compassionate, child safety focussed practice.