Smarty Pants, Kitty or Tiger? The impact of family violence on the child Presenter: Nicole Rotaru RSM
95% are male perpetrators, 5% are female perpetrators Victoria police respond to over 600 calls a day related to family violence 95% are male perpetrators, 5% are female perpetrators at least one woman a week is killed by a partner or former partner every three hours a woman is admitted to hospital as a result of family violence over 400,000 women in Australia has experienced violence by a partner during pregnancy close to 750,000 women had children in their care when they experienced violence by a former partner they lived with. More than three-quarters of these women (78%) said their children saw or heard the violence https://www.ourwatch.org.au/Understanding-Violence/Facts-and-figures Horizons - Re s e a r c h re p o r t | O c t o b e r 2 0 1 5, Violence against women in Australia: Additional analysis of the Australian Bureau of Statistics' Personal Safety Survey, 2012
Presentation Overview what moved the children’s mothers to flee from their situation of family violence what I did when working with the children the themes that emerged from their art and stories some examples of the children’s art works and stories
What moved the mothers to flee When he kicked my daughter out it was time for me to act. Mother of Willow, Holly and David I didn’t want the kids to see it anymore. Mother of Cray, Ella and Maisie He takes the children by the feet and holds them upside down. Mother of Amal and Nawal The children saw the violence. They tried to protect me. Mother of Dania and Keisha
What I did non-directive – the child chose the art medium established a trusting safe space through ordinariness non-directive – the child chose the art medium attentive companioning – a listening, seeing presence wrote down the child’s words about the artwork story asked the child to give the story a title respected that the child held the meanings embedded in their art work and story gave the child a copy of their art work and story
Themes The Creepy World Smarty Pants, Kitty or Tiger? Story of God and I am invisible Big Storm Heaven and Hell Mother Love Happy
The Creepy World – David 7
The Creepy World The Super Hero is helping the world by saving the fairies and the Skylanders. The dinosaur is going to eat their house. There are lots of baddies coming: snakes and rockets and lady bugs and a gorilla and sharks and evil star fishes and evil feathers. The dinosaur is going to eat the whole entire world. The Bear cards say the dinosaur is cheeky and angry.
The dinosaur is going to eat their house There are lots of baddies coming The dinosaur is going to eat the whole entire world.
Nawal’s Story – Nawal 3
Nawal’s Story The baby and three flowers and a balloon. Bear is looking. Bear wants to wee. Bear is going to punch Bear. Bear is punching. Bear is funny. Bear is punching, punching he does not want any one. Bear is looking at baby.
looking wants to wee is going to punch punching punching, punching baby three flowers a balloon looking wants to wee is going to punch punching punching, punching he does not want any one looking at baby
Mother Love – Keisha 7
Mother Love This love heart means love for mother love. The hands mean one is a kid and the other is the mother and mother always says, ‘I love you so much.’ Mum is always happy when we are happy. How kind. I like you. A smile for mum. Mum’s heart is always happy when we are happy. I love my mum so much ever in the whole world.
heart means love for mother love mother says, ‘I love you so much’ I love my mum so much ever in the whole world
© Nicole Rotaru rsm nicolerotaru0@gmail.com Out of respect for the children who have shared their stories with me, please email me if you wish to use any of material for professional purposes. Thank you.