Lessons from Child Survivors: Supporting the Healing and Resilience of Children and Parents who Experience Domestic Violence through an Intersectional Lens

The Adult Children Exposed to Domestic Violence (ACE-DV) Leadership Forum, a project of the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, is shifting the paradigm from deficit to growth – supporting the development of trauma-informed, culturally responsive, asset-based policies and practices that enhance resilience capacity in those who experience childhood trauma.

This training explores how domestic violence shapes children’s lives and impacts parenting, with an emphasis on the assets and strengths of families who survive this experience together. Participants will have an opportunity to learn through a combination of personal storytelling and a review of emerging research to gain a deeper understanding of and appreciation for the complex choices survivors face and ways families can be best supported across various systems.

The presenters will review the impact of domestic violence on the lives of children, including its intersections with other forms of trauma and oppression, with a specific focus on the experiences of Black children in systems designed to help. Presenters will offer strategies and tools for those in the community who wish to increase their capacity to provide growth-based, survivor-centered services and support to families experiencing trauma.