Victims or perpetrators? Young mothers who survived intimate partner violence and their involvement with the child welfare system in Ontario.

Adolescent and young adult mothers investigated by child welfare experience multiple challenges, including high concentrations of poverty, housing instability, social isolation, mental health issues, and intimate partner violence (IPV). However, little is known about the lived experiences of young mothers involved with the child welfare system who have also encountered IPV. This study begins to address this gap by analyzing interview data of young mothers who had child welfare involvement in Ontario while pregnant or parenting and who noted experiencing IPV (n = 10). Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to understand their understanding and perspectives of their involvement with child welfare. Three themes related to this dual experience were identified. First, young mothers described being threatened with referral or being referred to child welfare by their former abusive partner as an additional method to exert control. Second, young mothers believed they were scrutinized for concerns related to the child's father and his abusive behavior, rather than their own parenting abilities. Lastly, some believed that being in foster care during childhood increased their vulnerability to both IPV and child welfare involvement once they became parents. These findings suggest that child welfare workers should thoroughly check the referral source and may benefit from additional IPV training and use trauma-informed approaches when working with young mothers who are survivors of IPV. There is a need to improve the ways in which youth are supported while transitioning out of the child welfare system, to decrease their vulnerability to experiencing IPV and future child welfare involvement.