diff --git a/src/database/database.js b/src/database/database.js
index 3180dfa..357934a 100644
--- a/src/database/database.js
+++ b/src/database/database.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import dotenv from 'dotenv';
-import { deleteAuditLog, expandObjectIds } from '../utils.js';
+import { deleteAuditLog, distributeDelete, expandObjectIds } from '../utils.js';
 import log4js from 'log4js';
 import { editAuditLog, distributeUpdate, newAuditLog, distributeNew } from '../utils.js';
 
@@ -38,17 +38,15 @@ export const listObjects = async ({
     if (!sort || sort === '') {
       sort = 'createdAt';
     }
-    // Translate parent._id to parent for Mongoose
-    if (filter['parent._id']) {
-      filter.parent = filter['parent._id'];
-      delete filter['parent._id'];
-    }
 
-    // Translate owner._id to owner for Mongoose
-    if (filter['owner._id']) {
-      filter.owner = filter['owner._id'];
-      delete filter['owner._id'];
-    }
+    // Translate any key ending with ._id to remove the ._id suffix for Mongoose
+    Object.keys(filter).forEach((key) => {
+      if (key.endsWith('._id')) {
+        const baseKey = key.slice(0, -4); // Remove '._id' suffix
+        filter[baseKey] = filter[key];
+        delete filter[key];
+      }
+    });
 
     // Use find with population and filter
     let query = model
@@ -280,7 +278,7 @@ export const getObject = async ({ model, id, populate }) => {
       return { error: 'Object not found.', code: 404 };
     }
 
-    return result;
+    return expandObjectIds(result);
   } catch (error) {
     return { error: error, code: 500 };
   }
@@ -329,7 +327,7 @@ export const editObject = async ({ model, id, updateData, user, populate }) => {
 };
 
 // Reusable function to create a new object
-export const newObject = async ({ model, newData, user = null }) => {
+export const newObject = async ({ model, newData, user = null }, distributeChanges = true) => {
   try {
     const parentType = model.modelName ? model.modelName : 'unknown';
 
@@ -337,10 +335,12 @@ export const newObject = async ({ model, newData, user = null }) => {
     if (!result || result.length === 0) {
       return { error: 'No object created.', code: 500 };
     }
-    const created = result;
+    const created = expandObjectIds(result.toObject());
 
     await newAuditLog(newData, created._id, parentType, user);
-    await distributeNew(created._id, parentType);
+    if (distributeChanges == true) {
+      await distributeNew(created, parentType);
+    }
 
     return created;
   } catch (error) {
@@ -350,7 +350,7 @@ export const newObject = async ({ model, newData, user = null }) => {
 };
 
 // Reusable function to delete an object by ID, with audit logging and distribution
-export const deleteObject = async ({ model, id, user = null }) => {
+export const deleteObject = async ({ model, id, user = null }, distributeChanges = true) => {
   try {
     const parentType = model.modelName ? model.modelName : 'unknown';
     // Delete the object
@@ -359,14 +359,46 @@ export const deleteObject = async ({ model, id, user = null }) => {
     if (!result) {
       return { error: `${parentType} not found.`, code: 404 };
     }
-    // Audit log the deletion
-    await deleteAuditLog(result, id, parentType, user, 'delete');
-    // Distribute the deletion event
-    await distributeUpdate({ deleted: true }, id, parentType);
 
-    return { deleted: true, id };
+    const deleted = expandObjectIds(result.toObject());
+    // Audit log the deletion
+    await deleteAuditLog(deleted, id, parentType, user, 'delete');
+
+    if (distributeChanges == true) {
+      await distributeDelete(deleted, parentType);
+    }
+
+    return { deleted: true, object: deleted };
   } catch (error) {
     logger.error('deleteObject error:', error);
     return { error: error.message, code: 500 };
   }
 };
+
+// Helper function to recursively delete objects and their children
+export const recursivelyDeleteChildObjects = async (
+  { model, id, user = null },
+  distributeChanges = true
+) => {
+  const deletedIds = [];
+
+  // Find all objects that have this object as their parent
+  const childObjects = await model.find({ parent: id });
+
+  // Recursively delete all children first
+  for (const childObject of childObjects) {
+    const childDeletedIds = await recursivelyDeleteChildObjects(
+      { model, id: childObject._id, user },
+      false
+    );
+    deletedIds.push(...childDeletedIds);
+  }
+
+  // Delete the current object
+
+  await deleteObject({ model, id, user }, distributeChanges);
+
+  deletedIds.push(id);
+
+  return deletedIds;
+};