Conditions for resolving controversies between social actors in domestic violence and youth protection services: Toward innovative collaborative practices

This article presents the results of a qualitative analysis on strategies to encourage innovative collaborative practices, and the difficulties these pose, among various groups of practitioners involved with families experiencing domestic violence and child maltreatment simultaneously. The sociology of innovation provides the theoretical framework of this study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 71 practitioners in the fields of domestic violence and child protection. Among the issues raised during the interviews were questions about the day-to-day legal and material operations of organizations, concerns about power plays among various groups of actors, and suggestions to re-examine the perspective from which practitioners envisage the problem and develop solutions. Proposed strategies include: learning to know the other actors better, identifying effective communication mechanisms, involving family members and ensuring their interests are a priority, focussing on the common interests of all the actors, adopting attitudes allowing for the reduction of inequalities of power, and sensitizing practitioners more to this dual problem.