Child Witnesses of Domestic Violence

ABSTRACT

Children who witness domestic violence experience a variety of negative effects. These include maladaptation in the areas of behavioral, emotional, social, cognitive, and physical functioning. The Occupational Therapy Psychosocial Assessment of Learning (OT PAL) is a tool that can be used to evaluate the psychosocial functioning of a student's performance in a classroom environment. Presented is the case study of a child witness of domestic violence and the use of the OT PAL in measuring the psychosocial aspects of his performance in a non-traditional classroom setting.

Key Words:

• Domestic violence
• pediatrics
• assessment
• occupational therapy