AUSTRALIAN-FIRST research into re-establishing the mother-child relationship after family violence traumas has been published by a Bendigo academic.
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La Trobe University Bendigo associate professor Leesa Hooker conducted a study with 15 families which had experienced family violence to determine how feasible parent-child psychotherapy could be in re-establishing a positive relationship between mothers and their children.
Dr Hooker's research particularly focused on families with children who were aged between three and five. Her report - RECOVER: Reconnecting mothers and children after family violence - was published on Friday.
"It is a pilot intervention that hasn't been done in Australia," she said. "What we know about family and intimate-partner violence is it detrimentally effects women and children. The mother-child relationship is often impaired and most often perpetrators are interrupting this. Mothers and children are physically and emotionally affected. The violence sees children's behaviour deteriorate and (also) impairs a mother's ability to parent effectively.
"Introducing relational intervention where mothers and children are together for psychotherapy restores the relationship and reduces trauma. The therapy works to strengthen the bond which is the vehicle to restoring a child's mental health, getting them back on a normal developmental trajectory and enhancing their well being."
Dr Hooker has been with La Trobe Bendigo since 2009 when she studied for her PhD, which explored ways maternal and child health services could enhance how they worked with women who have experienced family violence. She now works at the La Trobe Rural Health school.
"I was a clinician and had been a nurse since 1985," she said. "I was a rural clinician working in community-based maternal child and health services for a long time.
"While I was practicing, I was completing a masters and since entering academia, I have explored the topic in more detail at the Judith Lumley Centre through La Trobe Bundoora."
Dr Hooker said she had found both positives and negatives in how society addressed family violence and violence against women in her more than 10 years as a researcher and academic.
"We are becoming more aware of family violence in the community and perhaps it's becoming more socially acceptable to discuss it. We are seeing it more in the media which is a good thing," she said.
If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, family or domestic violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit www.1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000.
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