In this chapter, I argue that children’s voices and perspectives constitute a very fruitful point of departure in knowledge development in the field of intimate partner violence (IPV). Furthermore, that research and practice need to draw on a “double view” on these children as both objects for adults’ care, protection and support, and as social actors with their own perspectives, preferences and agendas.

First, I review the extent to which it is possible to identify current research on intimate partner violence focusing on children’s voices and children’s agency, and outline a typology of different kinds of research on children exposed to intimate partner violence, as well as the “double view” on children exposed to intimate partner violence.

Second, I discuss three different empirical areas to illustrate the point about possible knowledge gains. The first area is children’s exposure to intimate partner violence, specifically children’s ways of tackling their situation and experiences. This part of the discussion includes elaborations of the concept of “witnessing” or exposure to IPV, the relationship between the effects of exposure and children’s creation of meaning, and children’s agency. The second area is risk assessment and it is argued that such assessments must include not just immediate danger (or perpetrator dangerousness) but also the long-term risk associated with emotional violence, retraumatization or undermining of recovery, as well as the child’s sense of security. The third area is the critical assessment of support and treatment interventions, including perspectives on children exposed to IPV as services users, and to what extent their service user perspectives are included in the development and evaluations of interventions.