Domestic Abuse Prevention Research Articles

Prevention of sexual violence and domestic abuse through a university bystander intervention programme: learning from a UK feasibility study

In response to evidence documenting the scale and impact of sexual violence (SV) and domestic abuse (DA) in universities, Universities UK (2016) recommend implementation of a UK based bystander programme, The Intervention Initiative (TII), as a key prevention strategy. However, a recent UK review (Gaffney et al, 2023) concluded that no studies have addressed implementation issues for university-based bystander programmes. Our study explored what is required for implementation of the TII in a UK university, rather than intervention effectiveness. The intervention was delivered to undergraduate students across three school cohorts: medicine, social work and sports coaching. The study draws on pre- and post-intervention surveys to explore SV and DA knowledge, attitudes, and bystander skills. Focus groups or individual interviews with students (n=11) and staff facilitators (n=10) explored experiences of implementation, delivery and participation. Students reported positive changes across several areas and some evidence of immediate impact on behaviours, suggesting potential for wider implementation across university contexts. Barriers included professionalisation of the application of the bystander intervention, resistance to an underpinning gendered evidence base and a lack of diversity and relatability in programme materials.

Primary care system-level training and support programme for the secondary prevention of domestic violence and abuse: a cost-effectiveness feasibility model

ObjectivesThis study aimed to evaluate the prospective cost-effectiveness of the Identification and Referral to Improve Safety plus (IRIS+) intervention compared with usual care using feasibility data derived from seven UK...

Patterns of mental health service use among perpetrators of domestic homicide: descriptive study of Domestic Homicide Reviews in England and Wales

Aims and method We used data from Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) to describe the patterns of mental health service use by perpetrators of domestic homicide in England and Wales. In 186 DHR reports we compared the characteristics of perpetrators who accessed mental health services with those of perpetrators who did not. Separate analyses were conducted for perpetrators of intimate partner homicide (IPH) and family homicide. Results Over two-thirds (64.5%, n = 120) of the perpetrators had accessed mental healthcare before the homicide. Perpetrators of IPH who had used mental health services compared with those who had not were more likely to have a history of substance misuse, contact with the criminal justice system and a history of self-harm or suicide attempts. Clinical implications Our findings support the need for health services, particularly mental health, addictions and primary care, to take an assertive role in the prevention of domestic violence and abuse by identifying patients who are potential perpetrators of domestic violence and abuse.

Linked police and health data: a step closer to effective domestic abuse prevention

Linked police and health data: a step closer to effective domestic abuse prevention

Exposure to domestic abuse and the subsequent risk of developing periodontal disease

AimsPeriodontal disease and domestic abuse (DA) are significant public health problems. Previous cross-sectional evidence indicates an association between DA exposure and development of periodontal disease. There have been no large-scale cohort studies exploring this relationship in a UK-setting. Our aim was to conduct a population-based retrospective open cohort study to explore the association between DA exposure and the subsequent development of general practitioner (GP)-coded periodontal disease. Materials and methodsWe undertook a retrospective open-cohort study using the IQVIA Medical Research Database (IMRD) UK database between the 1st January 1995 to 31st January 2021. Women (aged 18 years and over) exposed to DA were matched by age, deprivation, and smoking status to up to 4 unexposed women, all of whom had no pre-existing record of periodontal disease. Cox regression analysis was used to calculate crude and adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) to describe the risk of developing periodontal disease in the exposed group. Results23429 exposed patients were matched to 69815 unexposed patients. During the study period, 78 exposed patients had developed GP-recorded periodontal disease compared to 154 in the unexposed group, translating to an IR of 94.18 per 100,000 person years (py) and 54.67 per 100,000 py respectively. Following adjustment for key covariates, this translated to an aHR of 1.74 (95% CI 1.31–2.32), which was robust during our sensitivity analysis. ConclusionsOur results provide further evidence that DA exposure is associated with increased risk of developing periodontal disease. There is a need for swift implementation of public health policies to improve surveillance, reporting, and prevention of DA.

The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 England and Wales: implications for nurses.

As the COVID-19 pandemic enveloped the globe there was a parallel increase in the incidence of domestic abuse (DA). This has been ascribed to the restrictions in movement and growing tensions during lockdown periods. The Domestic Abuse Act covering England and Wales was about to be passed prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, but progress halted as attention focused on managing infection control and treatment nationally. The unfolding DA 'shadow pandemic' led to pressure groups lobbying for specific changes to the Act which, in its revised form, became law in April 2021. This article sets out the changes in definition, statutory response and prevention of DA and relates these to nursing practice. Health education and promotion theory is considered and linked to nursing practice with those who are both victims/survivors and perpetrators of DA.

How do young people who have experienced parental intimate partner abuse make sense of romantic relationships? A qualitative analysis

BackgroundApproximately one in five children in UK have experienced parental intimate partner abuse (IPA). Research suggests that this is one of the strongest predictors of interpersonal aggression within adult relationships, as well as having significant negative impacts on mental and physical health. Both Attachment Theory (Ainsworth & Bell, 1970; Bowlby, 1969) and Social Learning Theory (Bandura, 1977) attempt to explain this intergenerational cycle of abuse. ObjectiveIn line with Birmingham City Council’s Domestic Abuse Prevention Strategy 2016–2020, the present study aimed to qualitatively explore the way in which young people who have experienced parental IPA make sense of romantic relationships. ParticipantsSix young people (females = 4, males = 2), aged between 10–13 years (M = 11.16, SD = 1.17), participated in the study. MethodSemi-structured interviews were conducted, and the data were analysed using Framework Analysis to generate themes both inductively and deductively. ResultsThree superordinate themes were identified, namely ‘Recipe for a Healthy Relationship’, ‘When Things Go Wrong’, and ‘What is a Romantic Relationship?’. Concepts of equality and respect were frequently referenced by participants as part of the interviews. Findings are discussed in relation to practical implications and directions for future research.

Challenges for Elder Abuse Prevention Law

This paper compares components of four abuse prevention laws in Japan, including elder abuse, child abuse and domestic abuse, and abuse for people with disabilities and delineates major strengths and weaknesses of the Elder Abuse Prevention Law in comparison to the other three. Based on this analysis, this paper recommends improvements in the elder abuse prevention law given the success of the related abuse laws. Despite the requirement of re-evaluation every 3 years, no amendments have been made to the elder abuse prevention law, while amendments have been made to the child abuse and domestic abuse prevention laws, based on outcome data and implementation experience. Identified needed revisions include provisions of protection orders and temporary shelters to protect elder victims from abusers at the time abuse is reported.

Challenges for Prevention of Elder Abuse in Japan: Viewpoints From Legal and Practice Settings

This symposium begins by fist comparing features of the Japanese elder abuse prevention law to 3 other abuse prevention laws - child abuse, domestic abuse and abuse against people with disabilities. It highlights amendments that have been made to the child abuse and domestic abuse prevention laws since their enactment based on implementation experience, drawing contrast to the lack of amendments made to the elder abuse prevention law despite its three-year requirement for amendment review. Overall strengths and weaknesses of the elder abuse law are discussed including needed areas of revision. Second, a case study of nearly two decades of elder abuse prevention activities in Matsudo-city are presented and the subsequent enactment in April 2020 of a new regulation of the city is discussed. In addition, interim outcomes of a related research study in Matsudo-city on elder abuse involving non-caregivers for elderly people that will expand understanding of abuse prevention efforts are presented. Third, how can we abolish elder abuse in institutional settings will be discussed by analyzing elder abuse case studies. Finally, the most updated research outcomes conducted in in-home care service settings in 2020 will be presented. Its preliminary analyses revealed out of 1,417 responses, 2.9% were found to be ”body restraints.” Such abusive actions are less likely to be detected by others. The symposium concludes by assessing challenges for preventing elder abuse in policy and practice.

From campus to communities: evaluation of the first UK-based bystander programme for the prevention of domestic violence and abuse in general communities

BackgroundViolence against women and girls is a public health epidemic. Campus-based research has found bystander programmes show promise as effective primary prevention of sexual violence. However, evidence regarding domestic violence and abuse bystander prevention specifically, and in community settings generally, is still in development. Further, research has predominantly emanated from the US. Examining proof of concept in differing cultural contexts is required. This study evaluates the feasibility and potential for effectiveness of a domestic violence and abuse bystander intervention within UK general communities—Active Bystander Communities.MethodsParticipants recruited opportunistically attended a three-session programme facilitated by experts in the field. Programme feasibility was measured using participant attendance and feedback across nine learning objectives. Myth acceptance, bystander efficacy, behavioural intent and bystander behaviours were assessed using validated scales at baseline, post-intervention, and four-month follow-up. Results were examined for potential backlash. Analyses used a paired sample t-test and effect size was quantified with Cohen’s d.Results58/70 participants attended all programme sessions. Participant feedback consistently rated the programme highly and significant change (p ≤ 0·001) was observed in the desired direction across behavioural intent, bystander efficacy, and myth acceptance scores at post and follow-up. Effect size was generally large and, with the exception of Perception of Peer Myth Acceptance, improved at follow-up. Backlash was minimal.ConclusionsTo our knowledge this is the first UK-based study to examine the potential of bystander intervention as a community-level intervention for domestic violence and abuse. Findings are promising and indicate the translatability of the bystander approach to domestic violence and abuse prevention as well as community contexts. This is likely to be of great interest to policymakers and may help shape future community-based interventions. Further research is now needed using experimental designs engaging diverse community audiences.

Young people’s perceptions of the ‘Love Hurts’ programme: Is theatre an effective means of addressing teenage relationship abuse?

Domestic abuse prevention education programmes have been found to be effective in bringing about attitudinal and behavioural change. However, there is limited research on theatre‐based interventions developed in the UK. This study aimed to assess pupils’ responses to a theatre production called ‘Love Hurts’. A mixed‐methods approach, which incorporated an online survey and focus groups, was used to understand the pupils’ perceptions of the play. The survey was completed by 294 pupils aged 11–19 years in five schools. Four focus groups were conducted in two of the schools involved. The pupils were generally very positive about the play, girls more so than boys. One of the strengths was that the young people reported being able to relate to the situations, and they found the use of theatre very engaging. They seemed to respond well to the use of a positive male role in the play, but reported that more could be done to highlight that women can be abusive too. Another theme was around the issue of trust, with some young people reporting feeling cautious about entering relationships following the play. The findings suggest that the young people responded well to the messages conveyed and felt that theatre was an effective means of addressing the issue. However, care is needed as to how to address the issues of gender and trust.

Domestic Abuse Prevention for Ninth Graders

Domestic Abuse Prevention for Ninth Graders

IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED FOR JAPANESE ELDER ABUSE PREVENTION LAW: COMPARISONS WITH OTHER ABUSE PREVENTION LAWS

Japan has four stand alone abuse prevention laws, including child abuse (enforced in 2000), domestic abuse (2001), elder abuse (2006) and abuse for people with disabilities (2011). These laws are distinctive in that they aim to prevent abuse, not merely to address abuse after it occurs. This paper compares components of these four abuse prevention laws, delineating major strengths and weaknesses of the elder abuse prevention law in comparison to the other three. The analysis considers both institutional and domestic settings and suggests possible improvements of elder abuse prevention law that need to be made. Evidence for this analysis is supplied through examination of trends abuse using longitudinal data (2012-2017) collected by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The analysis shows commonalities in trends in the four abuse categories. For example, the number of abuse cases has risen over time despite the dissemination and implementation of abuse prevention training, program implementation, and public outreach. Differences include reporting – police more often report abuse cases of children and people with disabilities, while elder abuse cases are more often reported by professional staff members responsible for dealing with elder abuse cases. Although some amendments have been made to the child abuse and domestic abuse prevention laws, no amendments have been made to the elder abuse prevention law despite the requirement to review its success. Needed revisions include provisions of protection orders and temporary shelters to protect elder victims from abusers as soon as possible.

The challenges of developing and implementing a bystander intervention for the prevention of domestic violence and abuse in UK communities

Bystander intervention is showing promise as a strategy for violence reduction. Following successful preliminary evaluation of The Intervention Initiative (TII), a bystander programme for universities, a Public Health department in a local authority commissioned a DVA-specific version of TII for communities which became Active Bystander Communities (ABC). This paper documents, in narrative and reflexive form, the challenges and complexities faced by the research team and practitioners in translating TII into a new context for a new audience. We review findings from research, document the theoretical rationale underpinning the new programme, and its content and adherence to effective prevention criteria. We discuss the community readiness model and results of our engagement with a wider practitioner base and how feedback informed further programme development. We document the importance of the intersect and interplay of academic work with practitioner ‘real world’ realities. We discuss two fundamental theoretical issues: the meaning of ‘communities’ in this context, and the safety of interventions expressing social disapproval of problematic male behaviour to perpetrators designed to shift social norms. Government cuts have affected the structures and the staffing required to pilot the intervention in communities. Further research into effectiveness of the intervention and barriers to implementation is needed.

Validation of a Short Version of a Self-rated Instrument Designed to Measure Attitudes towards Domestic Violence

Violence against women has been recognized as an important public health problem. It is present in every culture around the globe but its local manifestations are highly dependent on social and cultural norms of the society which permeates it. Therefore, to provide a more robust assessment of the effectiveness of a domestic violence prevention programmes promoted by Singapore Committee for UN Women, Singapore, semantic and psychometric validation of Attitudes towards domestic violence (ADV) scale was conducted. As the questionnaire was tested in Singapore with English as an official language, translation and back translation steps were omitted. In the subsequent steps 20 multidisciplinary team members provided their feedback on semantic structure of the items to produce the final version. Singaporean version of ADV had an acceptable validity (Cronbach’s coefficient alphas .81 to .98) of scores on the five subscales and satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach’s coefficient alphas .70 to .85). The ADV Questionnaire proved to be a promising instrument for estimating the effectiveness of domestic abuse prevention programmes.

Some sociological aspects of the prevention of domestic violence and abuse of the elderly in Slovenia

This paper addresses the issue of violence and abuse of older personswhich, due to an increased level of public sensitivity and continuingreminders from governmental and non-governmental institutions, isbecoming a subject of increased attention. The author focus on domesticviolence and abuse and present and describe various ways ofprevention from violence and abuse of older persons from the aspectsof the legislation, human rights and the role of the Slovenian police.

Population Health During the Obama Administration: An Ambitious Strategy With an Uncertain Future.

The authors reflect on the efforts of U.S. President Barack Obama's Administration to improve population health in the nation, and it mentions issues involving access to health care and social services, as well as education quality, diet, and housing in America. The U.S. government's policies on job security, domestic abuse prevention, and environmental toxins are assessed, along with community health needs and Title IV of the U.S. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Domestic violence and abuse prevention programmes in the early years classroom: a pastoral, academic and financial priority?

Prevention programmes underpin every child’s right to feel safe and to be safe from all forms of harm. Delivered in schools across the globe, they aim to equip children with knowledge about safety and the skills to seek help early. By drawing upon international prevalence and impact research, as well as the legal, policy and curriculum context, this short study argues that preventative education should be both a pastoral and academic priority in the early years classroom and that the cost of violence and abuse, in both human and economic terms, is so significant that even marginally effective intervention programmes could be viewed as cost-effective.

Development of the Attitudes to Domestic Violence Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents.

To provide a more robust assessment of the effectiveness of a domestic abuse prevention education program, a questionnaire was developed to measure children's attitudes to domestic violence. The aim was to develop a short questionnaire that would be easy to use for practitioners but, at the same time, sensitive enough to pick up on subtle changes in young people's attitudes. We therefore chose to ask children about different situations in which they might be willing to condone domestic violence. In Study 1, we tested a set of 20 items, which we reduced by half to a set of 10 items. The factor structure of the scale was explored and its internal consistency was calculated. In Study 2, we tested the factor structure of the 10-item Attitudes to Domestic Violence (ADV) Scale in a separate calibration sample. Finally, in Study 3, we then assessed the test-retest reliability of the 10-item scale. The ADV Questionnaire is a promising tool to evaluate the effectiveness of domestic abuse education prevention programs. However, further development work is necessary.

Evaluating the effectiveness of domestic abuse prevention education: Are certain children more or less receptive to the messages conveyed?

PurposeA number of school‐based domestic abuse prevention programmes have been developed in the United Kingdom, but evidence as to the effectiveness of such programmes is limited. The aim of the research was to evaluate the effectiveness of one such programme and to see whether the outcomes differ by gender and experiences of domestic abuse.MethodPupils aged 13–14 years, across seven schools, receiving a 6‐week education programme completed a questionnaire to measure their attitudes towards domestic violence at pre‐, post‐test, and 3‐month follow‐up, and also responded to questions about experiences of abuse (as victims, perpetrators, and witnesses) and help seeking. Children in another six schools not yet receiving the intervention responded to the same questions at pre‐ and post‐test. In total, 1,203 children took part in the research.ResultsBoys and girls who had received the intervention became less accepting of domestic violence and more likely to seek help from pre‐ to post‐test compared with those in the control group; outcomes did not vary by experiences of abuse. There was evidence that the change in attitudes for those in the intervention group was maintained at 3‐month follow‐up.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that such a programme shows great promise, with both boys and girls benefiting from the intervention, and those who have experienced abuse and those who have not (yet) experienced abuse showing a similar degree of attitude change.