Victims Of Domestic Abuse Research Articles

Comparing the Demographic Characteristics, and Reported Abuse Type, Contexts and Outcomes of Help-Seeking Heterosexual Male and Female Victims of Domestic Violence: Part I – Who Presents to Specialist Services?

Despite longstanding investigation into the experiences and needs of female victims of domestic violence and abuse (DVA), and a burgeoning literature on abused men, information on service engagement by both of these groups is limited, particularly in direct comparison. This is in part due to a lack of large-scale quantitative data on victim needs upon presentation to services. The current study presents the first of a two-part examination of data collected from specialist DVA services in the UK supporting predominantly high-risk clients between 2007 and 2017. Case data from a total of 34,815 clients (858 men and 33,957 women) was assessed across five key areas: demographic characteristics, routes of referral into service, context of abuse, reported abuse type, and outcomes and risk factors of abuse. Clients tended to be white, with men being older on average. Men and women had similar referral routes, but men were more likely to have a disability of some kind and women were more likely to have children living/visiting the home. Men were more likely to report physical abuse than women, whilst women were more likely to report sexual abuse and harassment/stalking. There were no significant differences in the frequency of reporting jealous/controlling behaviours. Results also showed that women were more likely to have attempted to leave, and to call the police, with men more likely to suffer from alcohol/drug problems and reporting poorer physical health. However, it should be noted that almost all such differences had small effect sizes, suggesting greater similarity between male and female clients than difference. Results are discussed in the context of the importance of recognising both the shared and unique risk factors of client groups upon presentation to services.

Abused, but not Physically Bruised: How Virginia Can Protect Coercively Controlled Domestic Abuse Victims

Abused, but not Physically Bruised: How Virginia Can Protect Coercively Controlled Domestic Abuse Victims

165 Medical Students’ Lived Experiences of Online Forum Theatre as a Form of Learning in Consulting with Victims of Domestic Abuse

Domestic abuse (DA) is a prevalent problem in today’s society; over 2.4 million adults in England and Wales experienced DA in 2019 A multi-disciplinary team developed an online FT exercise, which involved a simulated consultation between a GP and DA victim. Spectators are invited to take the place of an actor or guide the actor and decide what action to take, thus helping to change the outcome of the scene. A qualitative approach was conducted, involving hermeneutic phenomenology, to explore participants’ lived experience of the FT exercise. Following the online FT experience, medical students were interviewed, and interview transcripts were analysed using a template analysis approach.Five themes were developed through our analytical process: (1) ‘Almost being there…but not quite’: the realistic experience of FT; (2) ‘Taken on an emotional journey’; (3) ‘Opening and controlling a privileged space’; (4) ‘Small things matter…’: cultivating and maintaining rapport and (5) critically reflecting on future professional self.This study provides an in-depth view of a medical student’s experience of online FT. Online FT has the potential to provide a novel DA teaching method for medical students. By providing students with a unique opportunity to step into a GP’s shoes in a DA consultation, students can practice how they will handle a DA scenario, without any potential consequences, helping them to improve their consultation skills.

Psychometric development and validation of victim gaslighting questionnaire (VGQ): across female sample from Pakistan

PurposeGaslighting a form of abusive manipulation both emotional and psychological is a growing phenomenon in recent times. However, as of yet, there is a scarcity of a valid and reliable instrument which can measure the severity of gaslighting in victims of interpersonal relationships abuse. The purpose of this study is the development of an instrument which can effectively measure gaslighting in victims and is psychometrically reliable and valid.Design/methodology/approachSince the aim of the study was the development of a scale first a sample of eight women who were victims of domestic abuse was taken for the focus group. Afterwards using purposive sampling a sample of 20 women for the pilot study and a sample of 150 women for the main study was taken with age range 18–40 (M = 23.38, S.D = 4.03). For the development of scale theoretical basis along with a focus group was conducted to establish an item pool. Afterwards, subject matter experts helped in establishing contend validity followed by Velicer’s minimum average partial (MAP) method and maximum likelihood factor analysis (FA) was performed for the establishment of the factorial structure of the instrument.FindingsVelicer’s MAP method and Maximum Likelihood FA suggested two factor structures including peer disagreement and loss of self-trust. Instrument displayed high alpha reliability of α = 0.934, with α = 0.927 and α = 0.854, for the subscale, respectively.Research limitations/implicationsThough all necessary steps were taken to minimize the limitations of the present study, however, some limitations do exist which needs to be addressed. The foremost limitation of the present scale is that it is being developed with only a female sample, however, the inclusion of a male sample in future studies can help in identifying whether men also are victims of gaslighting from peers and other family members or not. The second limitation is of validity though necessary validities have been established future studies should study on establishing further validities to further refine the instrument. Additionally, the scale has only been validated and tested on female samples future studies should be conducted on other specific groups or samples to develop norms. Moreover, testing the scale on other cultures could also help in establishing cross cultural validation of the instrument. Finally, though the scale assumes a higher level of scores suggests a higher level of victimization, a proper cutoff score can help in further identifying proper victims from the normal level of gaslighting.Practical implicationsThe present instrument has its applicability in several domains the most important being in the criminal justice system as gaslighting comes under gaslighting and even in the UK is considered as a criminal offense. This instrument can help in determining the severity of gaslighting in victims. Likewise, it can be used in clinical settings for psychologists to identify possible cases of gaslighting victims which can enable them to provide specific help and treatment for them. Moreover, researchers can also benefit from the instrument as it can enable them to explore gaslighting with other possible variables which can help them explore the concept of gaslighting even further.Originality/valueThis paper is a novel study and has been completed with the purpose of evaluating the effects of gaslighting in victims of interpersonal relationships abuse as the earlier measures are either not psychometrically valid or cannot be generalized to a wider population. The present established scale is an effort to construct an instrument that can be used worldwide.

The Crisis in the Courts: Before and Beyond Covid

Abstract One year after the first COVID lockdown the backlog at the Magistrates’ and Crown Courts together totalled approximately half a million cases. This article reports on the impact of court delays on domestic abuse victims using data from the ESRC-funded ‘Shadow Pandemic’ project. Using this data as illustrative, the paper goes on to discuss the causes of delays in all criminal cases, challenging the assertion that COVID caused the backlog. Instead, the paper contends that austerity measures have been the underlying cause with COVID merely extending the scale of the crisis. The paper then questions whether post-COVID recovery plans are realistic, particularly in relation to any increase in remote hearings and out of court disposals. It concludes that a more fundamental shift needs to take place in dealing with criminal cases to enable speedier and more effective access to justice for victims of all crimes including domestic abuse.

Clinical Legal Education as an Effective Tool for Improving the Accessibility of Protective Injunctions for Victims of Domestic Abuse: A Case Study Example of the Models of Support Available at Northumbria University

Protective injunctions are at the forefront of the family justice system’s response to protecting victims of domestic abuse. The accessibility of orders, however, has been compromised by the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 which has reduced the availability of public funding for victims of domestic abuse and led to an increase in victims representing themselves in such proceedings. Research indicates that without legal support, a victim’s prospects of securing protection can be adversely affected, demonstrating a need for pro bono assistance for those who cannot afford to pay privately for legal services. Whilst the provision of pro bono support in areas of unmet need is a principal aim of clinical legal education, research shows that few clinical programs in England and Wales offer specialist services for victims of domestic abuse. This paper therefore considers the role that clinical legal education can play in improving the accessibility of protective injunctions. Part one sets out a review of recent reforms within the family justice system and analyses how they have created an increased demand for pro bono legal support for victims of domestic abuse. Part two examines the clinical landscape and the potential benefits to students of providing support to victims. By drawing on the case study of the Student Law Office at Northumbria University, part three sets out the various models of clinical legal education that may be utilised to support victims of domestic abuse. The benefits and limitations of each option for students and victims will also be considered. The paper is a helpful point of reference for clinicians and family law practitioners working in partnership with law school clinics who are considering offering support in this area.

Generic personal safety applications: empowering victims of domestic violence and abuse? A practitioner lens

Bespoke and generic domestic violence and abuse (DVA) personal safety applications (PSAs) have become a popular choice for strategic crime prevention projects by those in the criminal justice sector to achieve justice through digital means as part of the wider digital justice project. These PSAs have been heralded as tools for the protection, empowerment and resilience building of victims in DVA, despite limited independent evaluations. This article explores the use of a generic PSA, which the police have adopted for rollout to victims of DVA in one region of the United Kingdom. We undertook a thematic analysis of data taken from a roundtable and three follow up focus groups with practitioners from the police, criminal justice, DVA specialist sector and victim services, alongside the PSA development team. We found both some support for using this PSA and serious concerns regarding its use in DVA situations.

Design Heuristics For In-Crisis Users

Any interface designed for in-crisis users needs to address their state of mind and physiological arousal. However, to date no clear guidance exists for the specific needs of in-crisis users. An opportunity to redesign a regional domestic abuse website inspired us to adapt Nielsen’s 10 heuristics by including three heuristics for in-crisis users, specifically domestic abuse victims. Given the lack of research we used existing research to address users’ cognitive and motor processing impairments during high anxiety and arousal. To see how well current domestic abuse websites follow these heuristics, we evaluated a pseudo-randomly selected set of 98 domestic abuse helplines. The result showed overall poor results. Irrelevant information, poor readability, and failure to highlight crucial information were among the main contributors for the poor assessment. The data illustrates the need for improved design guidelines to create a safe and effective option for in-crisis users.

Sheltered-In-Place: Domestic Violence during COVID-19

March 2020 marked the closure of thousands of workplaces, schools and other services to comply with government-issued lockdowns to prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) across the Canadian population. While the intent of the stay-at-home orders was to provide safety for the surrounding communities from the pandemic, many victims of domestic abuse soon found themselves confined to the root of their trauma for the sake of public health. Dubbed the “pandemic within a pandemic” by the media, 54% of responding victim services have reported an increase in the number of served domestic violence victims between mid-March and early July of 2020 [1,2], and police-reported calls for domestic disturbances have also increased 12%, according to data compiled from 17 police services across Canada [3].

Domestic Violence Legislation, Virtual Legal Methods and Researching One Female Teacher’s Lived Experiences of Recovery from Intimate Partner Violence During the COVID-19 Global Pandemic

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, the value of online qualitative research methodologies are increasingly being recognised within violence/abuse and legal research, but few academic papers explore the process of undertaking research wholly online which explores the intersect of both legal research methods and the exploration of the lived experiences of domestic abuse victims. For the potential of legal and domestic scholarly work to be fully recognised within academic publications and teaching, appropriate consideration of methodological issues surrounding qualitative online research methodologies is needed. This paper reflects on the experiences of one domestic abuse researcher undertaking online research during the UK’s national COVID19 lockdown when government legislation meant most socio-legal academics were restricted to conducting all research from their homes. This paper highlights the process where choosing the data collection online method (Microsoft Teams) was carefully considered to provide rich data insights that would help explore the research question under investigation. Online Microsoft Teams interviews were a successful method of undertaking scholarship examining one victims’ experience and its interconnectedness with the law. This was since they provided an in-depth understanding of the topic undertaken in a deeply private setting where a lack of face-to-face interaction seemed to enhance the richness of the data shared. The paper includes a total of five reflections are offered to help future researchers considering, and undertaking, online interviews within the field of domestic violence and legal research.

Understanding the Profile and Needs of Abused Men: Exploring Call Data From a Male Domestic Violence Charity in the United Kingdom.

Current understandings on service engagement by male victims of domestic violence and abuse (DVA) within the United Kingdom (UK) have generally been captured by qualitative research. As such, large-scale quantitative data detailing the profile, needs and outcomes of abused men, upon both presentation and use of services, is currently lacking. The present study analyzed the client data of 719 callers to a domestic abuse helpline for men in the UK. Findings showed that the overwhelming majority of callers reported they were abused by female perpetrators, most of whom were still their current partner, and that many of the men were fathers. Vulnerable populations (GBTQ+ and disabled men) were under-represented in the sample. Most men were seeking emotional support, along with a range of practical advice and signposting to other services. The confidentiality of the helpline was crucial for many men, and almost half had struggled to access the service (suggesting a severe lack of resourcing). Findings are discussed in relation to the need for gender-inclusive services, which cater for the unique challenges and barriers experienced by abused men.

Taking the Hit: Despite IRS Attempts, Domestic Abuse Victims Cannot Get Innocent Spouse Protection When their Partner's Commit Tax Fraud

The IRS offers an Innocent Spouse Protection provision allowing innocent spouses protection from the consequences of their partner's tax fraud if they filed a joint return. However, this protection fails to protect the most vulnerable innocent spouses – domestic abuse victims. The IRS has tried to help domestic abuse victims in tax fraud situations; however, their attempts have been unsuccessful as this protection is rarely granted, leaving innocent people liable for their partner's tax fraud. This Note proposes that the IRS amend their standard of review and code when admitting evidence of domestic abuse to better protect abuse victims.

Caring for survivors of domestic abuse: love, violence and safe space

ABSTRACT Those fleeing domestic violence often have complex and diverse needs but central for all is access to a ‘place of safety’. Caring for victims/survivors is largely predicated on the availability of secure housing but an absence of stock together with competition in the private rented sector has significantly reduced the chances of victims of domestic violence and abuse (DVA) being housed. In this paper, I explore the ‘cultures of care’ that shape responses to the housing needs of victims/survivors of DVA by those working in housing and other support services, showing that, in an environment of limited resource, an understanding of the experiences and choices of victims/survivors becomes highly significant. Drawing on research undertaken in the UK, I argue that attitudes towards victims/survivors of DVA are shaped by notions of romantic love and constructions of the abused body as unruly, unpredictable and self-destructive. Within this context survivors’ ‘poor choices’ may serve to limit their access to safe housing and to wider cultures of care and support. The paper provides a theoretically informed contribution to understandings of the relationship between violence, love and care and how this plays out in safe housing provision.

Experiences of domestic abuse within the South Asian community

The Black Lives Matter social movement has once again raised important societal issues around structural and racial inequalities. These issues stem from our political and social structures, which are argued to be a continuance of colonial rule and which allow injustice to amplify. There are many who continue to suffer and are often overlooked, namely victims of domestic abuse within the South Asian community. The Domestic Abuse Bill (DAB) is currently going through the Parliamentary process. It is argued that the DAB is flawed due to an absence of provisions and support for minority ethnic groups, namely the South Asian community. Previous scholarly research has documented the prevalence of honour-based abuse within the South Asian community. Despite the unique nature of abuse, this is not acknowledged in the DAB. The purpose of this paper is to uncover the unique experiences of domestic abuse within the South Asian community by thematically analysing two Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs). The findings will be discussed using aspects of ultra-realism, namely special liberty, and benign neglect. These findings will form the basis of reasoning behind amendment suggestions for the DAB. Following the thematic analysis of the two DHRs and critical literature review, three recommendations were formed: 1) Removal of ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’, thus providing funding to all, despite immigration status; 2) Provide education to police officers and GPs regarding domestic abuse and how it often differs depending on culture, namely the South Asian community; and 3) Implement neighbourhood committees across Britain that have a working relationship with the police to identify cases of domestic abuse within this South Asian demographic.

Knowledge and Awareness about Identification of Domestic Violence, Abuse and Neglect of Victim among Dentists

Domestic violence is an age-old social evil which remains hidden from the eyes of the society for long.The incidence of domestic violence (DV) is at epidemic proportions of violence, abuse and neglect of anyindividual have a significant impact on the social system. Majority of the studies report violent and abusiveinjuries involve the head and neck region but many times dentists fail to report abuse. The various reasonscould include loss of patients, economic loss and fear of dealing caregivers or of getting involved. Aboveall these, the majorly lack of sufficient knowledge about identification uncertainty of diagnosis and agencieswhere to report. The purpose of this paper is to assess the knowledge regarding identification of domesticviolence, abuse and neglect and reporting agencies of maltreatment.Aim & Objective: The aim of the present study is to assess knowledge and create awareness regardingidentification of domestic violence, abuse and neglect and reporting agencies of maltreatment among dentistsof Mysuru city of India.Method: A self-administered, structured questionnaire written in English given to the dentists who givetheir consent.Results: 91.7% (n=100) of the participants had heard about Domestic Violence, neglect and abuse and73%(n=67) had come across victims of Domestic violence, neglect and abuse. Among them, 9.2% (n=10)had come across them frequently and 32 (29.8%) occasionally.51 respondents said that the domestic violence victims are adult females, elderly female patients (16.6%)followed by children between 12 to 15 years of age (13.7%)Conclusion: Many dentists will come across and identify the victims in their practice, but only few dentistswill make an attempt to report. The main reason being lack of knowledge and proper training. Thus, there is aneed for all of us to get trained in this aspect. Recognizing reporting the violence is everyone’s responsibility

Domestic violence and abuse related emergency room visits in Ontario, Canada

BackgroundHospitals’ emergency rooms (ERs) are generally the first point of contact of domestic violence and abuse (DVA) victims to the health care system. For efficient management and resource allocation for ERs to manage DVA-related emergencies in Canada, it is important to quantify and assess the pattern of these visits.MethodsAggregate DVA-related ER visits data, using relevant ICD-10-CA codes, from 2012 to 2016 were retrieved from IntelliHealth Ontario. The 2011 ON-Marg (Ontario Marginalization) indices were linked at the Dissemination Area level to ER data. Descriptive analyses including total number and rate of visits per 100,000 people were calculated, stratified by age and sex. The Slope Index of Inequality (SII) and Relative Index of Inequality (RII) were also assessed.ResultsFrom 2012 to 2016, 10,935 (81.2% by females and 18.8% by males) DVA-related visits were made to ERs in Ontario. An annual average of 25.5 visits per 100,000 females and 6.1 visits per 100,000 males was observed. Residential instability and deprivation were significant predictors of DVA-related ER visits. No particular site of injury was indicated in 38.5% of visits, 24.7% presented with cranio-maxillofacial (CMF) trauma in isolation, 28.9% presented with non-CMF injuries, and 7.9% visits presented with both CMF and non-CMF injuries.ConclusionThis study identified that the burden of DVA-related ER visits is large enough to warrant timely public health interventions, and observed that certain populations in Ontario experience more DVA and/or are more prone to its impact. Our findings have important implications for various stakeholders involved in planning and implementing relevant policies and programs.

Help seeking by male victims of domestic violence and abuse: an example of an integrated mixed methods synthesis of systematic review evidence defining methodological terms

BackgroundDomestic violence and abuse is a violation of human rights which damages the health and wellbeing of victims, their families and their friends. There has been less research on the experiences and support needs of male victims than those of women. Historically research on men’s experiences has not focused on what constitutes effective, needs-led service provision. The aim of this paper was to conduct an integrated mixed methods synthesis of systematic review evidence on the topic of help-seeking by male victims of domestic violence and abuse.MethodsAn integrated mixed methods synthesis approach was taken to enhance our understanding of the complex phenomenon of help seeking by, and service provision to male victims. This process also identifies gaps in the evidence. Using previously identified systematic review data; mixed methods data from four primary-level service evaluation studies, along with expert and patient consultation were used to develop research propositions. Primary-level qualitative interview and survey data from 12 studies of men experiences were mapped onto the propositions to support them.ResultsFourteen propositions were composed. Seven propositions were supported or at least partly supported by the qualitative data. These supported propositions were used to make recommendations for policy and practice particularly concerning service preferences of male victims. The remaining seven propositions were not specifically supported by the qualitative data. These unsupported propositions were used to develop research recommendations concerning the need to further understand the potential blurred boundaries of victim–perpetrator, hybrid perpetrator-victim experiences, men who are/have been victims of childhood sexual abuse and determining the level of risk for men. They also highlight the need to produce better guidance for the response of the police & the criminal justice system. Finally, they highlight the need to produce the most appropriate service for men in terms of access, linkage, substance/alcohol abuse, mental health, sexuality, and race.ConclusionIntegrated mixed-methods synthesis of systematic review evidence is a relatively novel approach. This approach can lead to recommendations for policy and practice as well as highlighting gaps in the research agenda as shown in this example.

Harm, Consent, and Virtual Selves in Full-Body Ownership Illusions: Real Concerns for Immersive Virtual Reality Therapies.

This paper analyzes in the use of virtual reality when used to induce full-body ownership in violent offenders in order to elicit empathetic feelings by allowing them to embody the virtual body of a victim of domestic abuse. The authors explore potentially harmful effects to individuals participating in this kind of therapy and question whether consent is fully informed. The paper concludes with guidelines for ethical research and rehabilitation using this innovative technology.

"I Have Guys Call Me and Say 'I Can't Be the Victim of Domestic Abuse'": Exploring the Experiences of Telephone Support Providers for Male Victims of Domestic Violence and Abuse.

While previous studies have begun to provide evidence on the experiences of male victims of domestic violence and abuse (DVA), current understanding in this area is still limited, and subject to narrow methods of inquiry. Moreover, little is known regarding the challenges of providing support to men in abusive relationships, and how barriers to effective service engagement are experienced by both men and service practitioners. This is an important area for exploration, as the gender-specific experiences and needs of men have been historically overlooked within academic research and service provision. The present study therefore had two principal aims: first, to provide more detailed information regarding the nature and context of abuse toward, and help-seeking experiences of, male victims, and second, to explore the experiences of those supporting abused men. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four call handlers at a U.K. domestic abuse charity supporting male victims. Transcribed interviews were subjected to thematic analysis, revealing a superordinate theme of stereotypes and expectations of men which affected all the other three overarching and eight subthemes, including those detailing the range and severity of abuse suffered, the role of family and friends, barriers to reporting for abused men, and challenges in supporting them. Implications for services working with male victims of DVA are discussed: centered around the need for recognition, increased awareness, increased resourcing, and the provision of gender-inclusive services catering for the gender-specific needs of men.

Defining and Enabling ‘Justice’ for Victims/Survivors of Domestic Violence and Abuse

Abstract The article is based on a qualitative field study of how justice (in its wider sense) is understood by practitioners and religious leaders from Judaism, Islam and Christianity, who work with victims of domestic violence and abuse. The article focuses on two key questions: a) how do practitioners from the three faith communities conceptualise justice in relation to domestic violence and abuse (DVA)? b) how far do these practitioners believe that victims of DVA have access to justice within their respective faith communities? The findings suggest that the concept of structural spiritual abuse should be given more attention by the DVA literature and also by those who are working with women of faith.