Domestic abuse and infants, babies and children
Scotland recognises that children are affected by parental domestic abuse psychologically, emotionally, socially, sexually and educationally. Infants, babies, toddlers and children are not recognised as victims of domestic abuse in their own right. Their experiences are not always understood, and the risks they face as a result are not considered.
This webinar takes place on Wednesday 10 December, 9.30am to 12.30pm and we will learn about the impacts on parental domestic abuse on infants and children. We will focus on understanding how babies and children experience domestic abuse, how this shapes their later life and how professionals can intervene timely and effectively to support children.
Lauren Seager-Smith will talk about the impacts on infants and babies and what this early trauma means for their development later in life.
Dr. Jade Levell will discuss outcomes for young boys in households where there is domestic abuse, how this shapes their understanding of masculinity and how this increases their vulnerability to violence.
Janine Ewen will talk about the experiences of young children affected by parental domestic abuse and reflect on impacts in later life. She will share her own lived experience of growing up in a home where there was domestic abuse.
This is an event for professionals across disciplines. It will be of particular interest to practitioners in early years, education, midwifery, health visiting, social work, youth work and the third sector. If you
- work for the City of Edinburgh Council, please register on My Learning Hub
- do not work for the City of Edinburgh Council, please sign up using our better memories from now form.
Event speakers
Lauren Seager-Smith
Lauren Seager-Smith is CEO of The For Baby’s Sake Trust, a charity dedicated to breaking cycles of domestic abuse and giving babies the best start in life. With a career rooted in advocacy for children’s rights and trauma-informed, whole-family approaches, Lauren brings expertise in navigating complex family dynamics and supporting systemic change.
Before joining For Baby’s Sake in 2023, Lauren led Kidscape, a national bullying prevention charity, where she expanded front-line services for families and schools and strengthened governance. In earlier work as coordinator of the Anti-Bullying Alliance, Lauren spearheaded early online safety initiatives and led the national Anti-Bullying Week campaign.
Lauren is a member of the Action for Children England Committee and was awarded Associate of the Institute of Responsible Leadership for her commitment to ethical leadership in the charity sector.
Visit the For Baby’s Sake Website
Dr. Jade Levell
Dr Jade Levell is a Senior Lecturer in Social and Public Policy (Criminology and Gender Violence) at the University of Bristol, United Kingdom. Her research focuses on the ways in which marginalised boys survive adversity, and in particular the links between masculinity, vulnerability, and violence. She has written several books; ‘Boys, Childhood Domestic Abuse, and Gang Involvement: Violence at Home, Violence On-Road’ (2022) and Music, Mattering, and Criminalised Young Men: Exploring Music Elicitation as a Feminist Arts-Based Research and Intervention Tool (2024). She has also edited a collection alongside with Tara Young and Rod Earle entitled, Exploring Urban Youth Culture Outside of the Gang Paradigm: Critical Questions of Youth, Gender and Race On-road' (2023).
Janine Ewen
Janine Ewen is a prominent specialist in harm reduction, trauma awareness, and safety based in Scotland. Additionally, she is a survivor of domestic abuse experienced in her childhood.
Originally from Northern Ireland, Janine relocated to Scotland seeking safety. Throughout her life, she has faced the challenges posed by inadequate policing and safeguarding shortcomings, including the insufficient support provided to her mother by the police. For two years, Janine resided in a women’s refuge alongside her mother and brother. She understands the critical role that trauma-informed care from professionals plays in navigating the criminal justice system, as the testimonies given by her and her brother to their family lawyer were crucial for her mother's legal case against their father.
Janine has been involved in the design and execution of several research initiatives that examine policing in the context of domestic violence, as well as the lasting impacts of familyviolence on individuals. She has provided guidance and worked alongside Scotland's Domestic Abuse Taskforce and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). Additionally, Janine has contributed to the Getting It Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) initiative, co-developing trauma-informed services with children and adolescents while implementing extensive harm reduction programs aimed at fostering safer spaces for youth.
Currently, she is concentrating on advancing her academic career through research, teaching and guest lecturing. Her writing includes blogs, articles and book chapters focused on innovative methodologies, childhood domestic abuse / vulnerability, child-centred policing, and public health topics.
Please email Janine if you would like to talk about training in any of these areas
Janine’s recent writings
Exploring the impact of childhood violence through photographs
Eliciting conversations with young people on safety, harm and place
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