Domestic Violence: The Adolescents' Perspectives on the Barriers and the Facilitators of Social Intervention : A Systematic Literature Review

Domestic violence is often experienced as a crisis period, and it may impact children’s well-being, everyday functioning and development. To promote these minors’ resilience, social intervention is extremely important. The support and responses attributed to these children are not always adequate for their needs and interests. Considering children’s perspectives on social intervention is crucial to improve and to provide complete social work responses. A systematic literature review was conducted, aiming to analyze how children exposed to domestic violence characterize the barriers and facilitators of social intervention. Through two databases, 8 articles were found, related to adolescents’ perspectives on social intervention in situations of domestic violence. The participants were children aged 12-18 years, who were witnesses of violence between parents or who suffered abuses from one/both parent(s). Findings demonstrated the main factors of social intervention that children recognized as being negative and unhelpful (barriers), and as being positive and helpful (facilitators). The identified barriers were lateness, mistrust, lack of child perspective, passivity, lack of value, malice, boredom, and inaccessibility. On the other hand, the established facilitators were protection, trust, child perspective, active listening, value, accessibility, sympathy, sharing, and information. Implications for social workers are provided, centered on specialized trainings and guidance, and on the use of appropriate methods when intervening with children. Also, the necessity to expand the quantity of research related to the child’s perspective on social intervention is highlighted