Some studies have shown that children who witness domestic violence against a family member or experience physical, emotional, or sexual abuse will often display behavioral risk factors such as increased suicidal ideation. Using social learning as the theoretical basis, this study examined factors that are associated with suicidal ideation in children of domestic violence, such as witnessing domestic violence, experiencing physical, emotional and sexual abuse, and experiencing abuse perpetrated by a parental figure. Results showed that while witnessing domestic violence alone did not affect suicidal ideation, the combination of witnessing domestic violence and being sexually abused was strongly associated with suicidal ideation, as was having a perpetrator who was a stepparent, and having a perpetrator who was a parental figure who threatened suicide and/or homicide. Implications for further research are addressed.

The purpose of this study was to explore the link between exposure to domestic violence (DV) and the presence of symptoms of anxiety in a population of justice-involved juveniles. The categories of DV were broken down into verbal abuse and physical abuse, along with a third category of juveniles that witnessed both forms of abuse within their households. This study compared the prevalence of anxiety in juveniles when faced with the different instances of DV through the use of data collected from a longitudinal study conducted by the Pathways to Desistance Project. The goal of the study was to further understand how the witnessing of specific forms of DV may result in a higher rate of symptoms of anxiety displayed within juveniles. This study will allow for professionals to better identify sources of anxiety and trends found in juvenile offenders exhibiting such internalized behavior, which may have been as a result of witnessing DV in their pasts. This study may lead to better handling and identification of anxiety disorders and symptoms in children and act as a red flag for potential domestic abuse in the child's household. This study may also allow for a higher likelihood of assistance given to children at a young age in order to prevent the development of behaviors they witness within the household and may reflect in the future.

This thesis explores the scope for children’s voices offered to children in court mandated investigations regarding custody, residence or contact. The focus is on children who have been exposed to their father’s violence against their mother The aim is to study how the legislators’ intentions concerning children’s participation in this area are implemented in work groups. The assumption is that implementation can be seen as collective learning. Implementation may in this case challenge established relations of power like age and gender orders. Professional discourses on violence have to shift from gender neutral to gendered discourses and discourses on children have to include a participation discourse. Learning which includes a shift in discourses and challenges established power relations is defined as radical learning.The approach is social constructionist and draws on group interviews with social workers specialized in family law.The thesis analyses which discourses of violence and of children are accessible and used at group level. This can be seen as a discursive opportunity structure. The discourses in question are: gender violence, child protection, treatment and family law discourses as well as care and participation discourses. The conclusion is that all these discourses are accessible to the professionals and the effects of the different discourses are discussed regarding the possibilities for creating a safe situation for mother and child during the investigation.The thesis furthermore analyses the organisation of the work groups. These characteristics can be seen as an organisational opportunity structure. The analysis shows different patterns in the groups when it comes to structure and stage of learning process. One group seems to be at the stage where the members are prepared to start talking to the child about the father’s violence.The final chapter presents a discussion of radical learning and the possibilities for radical social change when established power relations are challenged.