An Overlooked Issue: Working With Child Witnesses to Domestic Violence in the Shelter （被忽略的主體－受暴婦女庇護所目睹兒少工作）

Children in women’s shelters often are witnesses or victims of domestic violence. Living under constant conflicts may hinder their growth. When children enter shelters with their main caregivers (most often mothers who have suffered from violence), they face changes in family, school, living environment and the mental state of their caregivers. Other than providing them with a chance to catch their breath, can shelters become a system of rehabilitation, deem children whom witnessed violence as a whole; give them a chance to recover from their trauma while adjusting to their lives? How do we create space for these children to be cared for and accepted for their experience? How do we encourage them to express themselves through words and play and to understand themselves better? This short presentation will share the works of the New Taipei City branch of GOH Ningxing House (short term emergency shelters for domestic violence females). Through case studies, we will present how different professionals (witness, female social workers, living care assistants and counsellors) work closely to provide youths with education, group support and play therapies. Additionally, how these works impact the work done with the victim women, and how to prepare them for a sustainable parent-child relationship after they leave the shelters.

受暴婦女庇護所中的兒童可能曾經目睹家庭的暴力事件或親身受暴，也或許在衝突頻繁、動盪不安的家庭關係中感到無所適從，累積各種受傷的情緒，甚至阻礙了成長的發展。當兒童隨著遭受暴力對待的主要照顧者（通常是母親）進入庇護所，家庭、學校、生活環境與照顧者狀態的改變往往使她/他們必須面臨各種挑戰。
除了提供安全的喘息空間之外，庇護所是否可能成為一個療癒系統，視目睹暴力兒童為完整的主體，讓她/他們在適應生活的同時，也有機會整理自己進而修復創傷，安頓身心？如何創造空間以提供兒童被關注與接納的經驗，鼓勵她/他們透過遊戲/語言表達，並在表達中認識自己？此次短講將分享勵馨基金會新北分事務所寧馨家園（受暴婦女緊急短期庇護所）的目睹暴力兒少工作經驗，透過案例說明不同專業人員（目睹/婦女社工員、生服員、諮商心理師）如何密切合作，提供兒少生活教育、團體輔導與遊戲治療等不同層次的服務介入，以及這些處遇如何與和受暴婦女的工作產生關聯，也為兒少預備離園後的發展可能嘗試建立更健康的親子關係。