ICDVP Child Witnesses 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under the Illinois Domestic Violence Act, which term describes a child who observes domestic violence occurring between household members?
- Secondary victim (Correct answer)
- Collateral witness
- Indirect abuser
- Passive bystander
Correct answer: Secondary victim
Children who witness domestic violence are often classified as secondary victims because the abuse directly harms their well-being even when not physically targeted.
Question 2: Research on children who witness domestic violence most consistently shows which developmental outcome?
- Accelerated academic achievement
- Increased risk of emotional and behavioral problems (Correct answer)
- Improved conflict resolution skills
- Reduced risk of future victimization
Correct answer: Increased risk of emotional and behavioral problems
Children exposed to domestic violence are at significantly elevated risk for emotional dysregulation, aggression, anxiety, and other behavioral problems.
Question 3: A child who has witnessed severe domestic violence begins wetting the bed after years of being toilet trained. This is best described as:
- Malingering
- Regression (Correct answer)
- Oppositional behavior
- Somatic illness
Correct answer: Regression
Regression — returning to earlier developmental behaviors — is a common trauma response in children exposed to domestic violence.
Question 4: In Illinois, mandatory reporters who suspect a child is being harmed by witnessing chronic domestic violence must report to:
- The domestic violence hotline only
- DCFS (Department of Children and Family Services) (Correct answer)
- The local police precinct only
- The school district office
Correct answer: DCFS (Department of Children and Family Services)
Illinois mandatory reporters must file reports of suspected child abuse or neglect, including exposure to domestic violence, with DCFS.
Question 5: Which parenting arrangement is generally considered safest when a batterer seeks custody and children have witnessed abuse?
- Unsupervised overnight visits with the batterer
- Supervised visitation with safety protocols (Correct answer)
- Equal shared physical custody
- No contact with either parent until court order
Correct answer: Supervised visitation with safety protocols
Supervised visitation with safety protocols protects children from further exposure to violence while allowing some parent-child contact.
Question 6: A child witness to domestic violence repeatedly plays out violent scenarios with toys. A trauma-informed practitioner understands this as:
- Evidence the child is dangerous
- Normal developmental play unrelated to trauma
- Traumatic play, a common way children process frightening experiences (Correct answer)
- Proof the child enjoys violence
Correct answer: Traumatic play, a common way children process frightening experiences
Traumatic play is a recognized post-trauma response where children repetitively reenact frightening events as a way of attempting to process and master them.
Question 7: Which factor most increases a child witness's resilience after exposure to domestic violence?
- Access to a supportive, stable relationship with a safe caregiver (Correct answer)
- Keeping the violence secret from all adults
- Having the child mediate disputes between parents
- Relocating frequently to avoid the abuser
Correct answer: Access to a supportive, stable relationship with a safe caregiver
A consistent, supportive relationship with a safe caregiver is the strongest protective factor promoting resilience in child witnesses.
ICDVP Child Witnesses 2
Under the Illinois Domestic Violence Act, which term describes a child who observes domestic violence occurring between household members?