Huiselijk geweld en het veilig maken van de gezinsrelaties

This is the second of two articles on traumatic events in childhood, in which we zoom in on experiencing domestic violence. In the first article we examined theoretical aspects of domestic violence, which we illustrated with case histories and individual and systemic points of focus during treatment, aiming for family relationships to offer safety again to all family members. In this second article we describe how we have integrated these points of focus and their answers into interventions using three best practices that address the consequences of domestic violence at both the individual and family level (HORIZON, FITT, and No Kids in the Middle). Besides assessment and use of trauma-focused treatment we focus on trauma-sensitive parenting and restorative family conversations. Important goals include strengthening the mentalizing ability of parents, creating a shared trauma story, understanding each other's vulnerabilities, identifying mutual destructive communication patterns, and preventing future violence.