Intimate partner violence[i] (IPV) and child maltreatment[ii] often co-occur and affect millions of families in the United States each year. Exposure to violence in the home during childhood is linked to long-term health, behavioral, and social challenges and increases the risk of future victimization and violence across generations. Evidence shows children are not just witnesses to IPV, but are directly affected across emotional, social, and developmental domains, even when they do not directly see or hear the abuse. Because legal and service systems regularly interact with affected families, decision-makers across these systems play a critical role in identifying risk, protecting children, and improving long-term outcomes.

IPV and Child Maltreatment Are Widespread, Interconnected, and High-Risk

• IPV is widespread, affecting about 1 in 2 women and 1 in 6 men over their lifetime, with millions of children exposed each year.
• Child maltreatment is also common, with at least 1 in 7 children experiencing abuse or neglect in a given year.
• IPV and child maltreatment frequently co-occur, with child maltreatment present in 30–60% of families affected by IPV; IPV is also associated with a 4 times greater likelihood of physical child abuse.
• Violence is often underreported, meaning current estimates likely understate the true scope of the problem.

Exposure to Violence Has Long-Term and Intergenerational Effects

• The period following separation from an intimate partner is the most dangerous time for women and children, with nearly half of intimate partner homicides occurring when a woman attempts to leave the relationship.
• Children face heightened homicide risk in IPV incidents; in over half of IPV-related firearm homicides involving child victims, the child’s mother is also killed (94.1%).
• In IPV homicide-suicide cases, children are most likely to be killed by their biological father; survivors often witness brutally violent incidents involving their other caregiver.
• Exposure to IPV can have lasting mental health and economic consequences, including increased risk of anxiety, aggression, and social withdrawal; children exposed to multiple adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) face substantial lifetime economic burden.
• Risk of victimization can continue into adulthood: children exposed to IPV are 4.8 times more likely to be physically abused, 6 times more likely to be emotionally abused, and 2.6 times more likely to be sexually abused in adulthood.
• Exposure to IPV can perpetuate intergenerational cycles, increasing the likelihood of later dating violence.

Legal and Service Systems Play a Critical Role in Child Safety

• Family courts and related legal systems play a central role in decisions that affect child safety, making them central to prevention and intervention efforts.
• Many definitions of IPV emphasize physical or sexual violence, overlooking behaviors such as stalking, control, and economic abuse that can pose significant risks to children.
• Effective responses to IPV depend on professionals’ ability to recognize patterns of abuse and lethality risk that may not be captured in current legal definitions; for example, stalking is an independent risk factor for homicide even in the absence of prior physical violence, and sexual violence often co-occurs with other forms of abuse but may go undisclosed without specific inquiry.
• Families often interact with multiple systems (e.g., courts, child welfare, law enforcement) that may operate in silos, while financial barriers and power imbalances can limit access to legal protections.

Policy Considerations 

Expand screening and early identification across systems.

• Routine screening in healthcare, schools, and community settings can improve identification of IPV and child maltreatment and connect families to services earlier. Screening all individuals within the household across the lifespan may help identify needs and risks.
  • Universal screening at pediatric offices has been found to increase rates of IPV identification and increase patient comfort.
• Validated tools, such as lethality risk assessments, can help law enforcement and court professionals identify high-risk situations and prioritize timely intervention, including safety planning and court-ordered safeguards.

Increase training for legal and service professionals on the co-occurrence of IPV, child maltreatment, and risk factors.

• Evidence-based training can improve recognition of abuse patterns and risks to children that may not be immediately visible.
• Training for judges and legal professionals can support informed decisions that prioritize child safety and account for family context.
• Educating legal professionals about child safety and IPV history within the family during custody decisions is aligned with the Model Code recommended by the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.

Strengthen legal standards to better reflect child safety risks and the full scope of IPV.

• Refining statutory definitions of IPV to include patterns of control and non-physical abuse may improve alignment with research and practice.
• Updating “best interests of the child” standards to prioritize safety and incorporate IPV history may strengthen custody and placement decisions.

Improve coordination, information sharing, and access across legal and service systems.

• Collaboration across civil and criminal courts, law enforcement, and child welfare systems may reduce gaps in protection and improve outcomes.
• Incorporating prior findings (e.g., protective orders or abuse findings in criminal or child welfare cases) into family court decision-making may strengthen risk assessment and continuity of care.
• Expanding access to legal and supportive services may reduce financial and systemic barriers that limit families’ ability to seek protection.
• Create mechanisms for child abuse prevention scientists to track interventions longitudinally with access to data complying with federal and state human subject review board statutes.

[i] Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is defined as abuse that occurs in a romantic relationship (current or former partner) and includes physical abuse, sexual violence, stalking, and/or psychological aggression.

[ii] Child Maltreatment is defined as abuse and neglect occurring to children under the age of 18 years old and can include physical abuse, sexual violence, neglect, and emotional ill-treatment which result in harm to the child’s health and development.