Approximately 1 in 10 respondents aged 16-59 to the 2007-08 Northern Ireland Crime Survey were identified as having been a victim of domestic violence at some stage in their lives.
Source: Experience of Domestic Violence: Findings from the 2007/2008 Northern Ireland Crime Survey, Research and Statistical Bulletin 16/2008, Northern Ireland Executive (028 9052 7157)
Links: Report
Date: 2008-Dec
The Crown Prosecution Service published the first annual performance report on violence against women. It covered: domestic violence; forced marriage; so-called 'honour' crimes; female genital mutilation; rape and sexual offences; human trafficking; prostitution; child abuse; and pornography.
Source: Violence Against Women Crime Report 2007-2008, Crown Prosecution Service (020 7796 8000)
Links: Report | Womensgrid report
Date: 2008-Dec
A report by a committee of the National Assembly for Wales examined the support that was available for victims of domestic abuse, and initiatives aimed at preventing domestic abuse. Funding arrangements were described by agencies as hampering the strategy.
Source: Domestic Abuse in Wales, Communities and Culture Committee/National Assembly for Wales (029 2082 5111)
Links: Report | NAW press release | BBC report
Date: 2008-Dec
A study examined the progress of a pilot 'Integrated Domestic Violence Court' (in south London) after 12 months. It explored emerging issues and offered recommendations for policy and good practice. (The pilot court was designed to bring together cases with a criminal element and concurrent Children Act or civil injunction proceedings, with the aim of providing a more integrated approach to domestic violence.)
Source: Marianne Hester, Julia Pearce and Nicole Westmarland, Early Evaluation of the Integrated Domestic Violence Court, Croydon, Research Report 18/08, Ministry of Justice (020 7210 8500)
Links: Report
Date: 2008-Nov
The government published a progress report on its domestic violence strategy. It said that it had continued to make 'significant progress'. There had been a greater focus on forms of domestic violence such as 'honour'-based violence and forced marriage. There had also been developments in relation to the specialist domestic violence court programme, multi-agency risk assessment conferences, and independent domestic violence advisers.
Source: National Domestic Violence Delivery Plan: Annual Progress Report 2007/08, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Report | Home Office press release | Guardian report
Date: 2008-Oct
A survey in Northern Ireland found that 1 in 7 (14 per cent) of respondents aged 16-59 claimed to have been victims of domestic violence at some time in their lives, with females reporting a higher victimization rate than males (18 per cent compared with 10 per cent).
Source: M Carmichael, Experience of Domestic Violence: Findings from the 2006/07 Northern Ireland Crime Survey, Research and Statistical Bulletin 10/2008, Northern Ireland Executive (028 9052 0500)
Links: Report
Date: 2008-Oct
A new book examined domestic violence. The issues embraced included criminal and civil law responses, the value of mediation, the impact on children, and the cultural context.
Source: Michael Freeman (ed.), Domestic Violence, Ashgate Publications (01235 827730)
Links: Summary
Date: 2008-Sep
A new book examined the risk factors surrounding children at risk of experiencing and perpetrating violence, and the positive role that children's rights could play in their protection. Violence in childhood was not spontaneous: children were raised to become violent in poorly functioning families and child-unfriendly environments. Respecting children's rights and safeguarding them from exposure to violence could shift the balance between risk and protective factors and, as a result, reduce the incidence and severity of childhood violence.
Source: Katherine Covell and R. Brian Howe, Children, Families and Violence: Challenges for children's rights, Jessica Kingsley Publishers (020 7833 2307)
Links: Summary
Date: 2008-Sep
A briefing paper examined studies which highlighted the link between poverty and some forms of child maltreatment – especially neglect, and emotional and physical abuse. There were no large-scale studies that specifically examined the nature of the relationship between poverty and child maltreatment: but the most common explanation centred on the stress factors associated with poverty and social deprivation, which were further compounded if drug misuse and mental health issues came into play.
Source: Poverty and Child Maltreatment, National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (0207 825 2775)
Links: Briefing
Date: 2008-Sep
A report examined the impact of domestic violence on women's financial situation. Domestic violence had a serious impact both during and after a violent relationship – particularly in the form of debts and difficulties in claiming child maintenance. Local authorities and central government needed to consider introducing some form of specific financial support for those who had experienced domestic violence – ideally a small grant, which would be available to those both in and outside employment – to help tide families over and assist with their resettlement.
Source: Kate Bell and Claire Kober, The Financial Impact of Domestic Violence, Family Action (formerly Family Welfare Association (020 7254 6251) and One Parent Families/Gingerbread
Links: Report
Date: 2008-Sep
A literature review examined evidence on the impact of domestic abuse on children and young people.
Source: Cathy Humphreys, Claire Houghton and Jane Ellis, Literature Review: Better Outcomes for Children and Young People Experiencing Domestic Abuse – Directions for good practice, Scottish Government (0131 556 8400)
Links: Report
Date: 2008-Aug
A new book examined professional and voluntary sector responses to domestic violence – including new initiatives such as domestic violence courts and risk assessment conferences.
Source: Lynne Harne and Jill Radford, Tackling Domestic Violence: Theories, policies and practice, Open University Press (01280 823388)
Links: Summary
Date: 2008-Aug
The government began consultation on proposals to reform the law on homicide, designed to make it much harder for those who killed out of anger to avoid a murder conviction by claiming that they were provoked. It proposed the abolition of the existing partial defence of provocation, and its replacement with two new partial defences: killing in response to a fear of serious violence; and (in exceptional circumstances only) killing in response to words and conduct which caused the defendant to have a justifiable sense of being seriously wronged.
Source: Murder, Manslaughter and Infanticide: Proposals for Reform of the Law, Ministry of Justice (020 7210 8500) and Home Office
Links: Consultation document | MOJ press release | ACPO press release | Liberal Democrats press release | Guardian report | Telegraph report | Community Care report
Date: 2008-Jul
A briefing paper examined the experiences of children and young people (under the age of 18) of domestic violence between those adults who had, or previously had, a parental role towards them.
Source: Anne Worrall, Jane Boylan and Diane Roberts, Children's and Young People's Experiences of Domestic Violence Involving Adults in a Parenting Role, Research Briefing 25, Social Care Institute for Excellence (020 7089 6840)
Links: Briefing
Date: 2008-Jun
A report by a committee of MPs said that the government had made 'significant steps' to improve its response to domestic and so-called 'honour-based' violence and forced marriage: but its approach remained disproportionately focused on criminal justice responses at the expense of effective prevention and early intervention.
Source: Domestic Violence, Forced Marriage and 'Honour'-Based Violence, Sixth Report (Session 2007-08), HC 263, House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | EHRC press release | Amnesty press release | Liberal Democrats press release | Guardian report | Telegraph report
Date: 2008-Jun
A report examined the experiences and support needs of South Asian women, children, and young people who had experienced domestic abuse; the barriers that deterred them from seeking help; and the gaps in existing service provision.
Source: Shayma Izzidien, 'I Can't Tell People What was Happening at Home': Domestic abuse within South Asian communities – The specific needs of women, children and young people, National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (0207 825 2775)
Links: Report | Summary | NSPCC press release | Community Care report | Guardian report
Date: 2008-Jun
The Scottish Government published a plan designed to tackle domestic abuse. It set out 13 priorities for action over the following three years focused on four main themes of protection, provision, prevention, and participation.
Source: National Domestic Abuse Delivery Plan for Children and Young People, Scottish Government (web publication only)
Links: Plan | SG press release | BBC report
Date: 2008-Jun
An article examined partnership initiatives on domestic violence. These initiatives were largely taken forward by voluntary sector organizations: although some state agencies showed a real commitment to them, that of many others was 'disappointing at best'.
Source: Kirsty Welsh, 'Partnership or palming off? Involvement in partnership initiatives on domestic violence', Howard Journal of Criminal Justice, Volume 47 Issue 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2008-May
A report drew together work being done across government to tackle violence against women.
Source: Tackling Violence Against Women: A cross-government narrative, Government Equalities Office (ministers@dwp.gsi.gov.uk)
Date: 2008-Apr
A report highlighted the role of charities in providing specialist support to victims of violence against women. Domestic violence alone cost society £20 billion a year: but the most prominent charities helping to tackle domestic violence had a combined income of just £17 million – less than that of the Donkey Sanctuary.
Source: Justine Jarvinen, Angela Kail and Iona Miller, Hard Knock Life: Violence against women – A guide for donors and funders, New Philanthropy Capital (0207 401 8080)
Links: Report | Summary | NPC press release | Guardian report
Date: 2008-Apr
A review found that 10 of the 23 new specialist domestic violence courts achieved a successful prosecution rate of over 70 per cent, with one reaching over 80 per cent. There had also been an improvement in the responses of individual agencies to domestic violence cases. (The courts used a co-ordinated approach aimed at ensuring victims were protected and supported, by bringing together dedicated and trained police officers, crown prosecutors, court staff, and the probation service.)
Source: Justice With Safety: Specialist domestic violence courts review 2007-08, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Report | Home Office press release
Date: 2008-Mar
Official sentencing guidelines were published relating to assaults on children and the offence of cruelty to a child. Where a child was the victim and the offender an adult, custody would normally result, particularly where the offence involved an abuse of trust. Where an offender only intended to administer lawful chastisement and relatively minor injury resulted that was neither foreseen nor intended, custody would not normally be appropriate.
Source: Overarching Principles: Assaults on Children and Cruelty to a Child, Sentencing Guidelines Council (020 7411 5551)
Links: Guidance | SGC press release | MOJ press release
Date: 2008-Feb
An article examined evidence on the perceptions and experiences of adult victims of domestic violence when accessing healthcare services. Victims identified inappropriate responses by healthcare professionals, discomfort with the healthcare environment, perceived barriers to disclosing domestic violence, and a lack of confidence in the outcomes of disclosure to a health professional.
Source: Louise Robinson and Karen Spilsbury, 'Systematic review of the perceptions and experiences of accessing health services by adult victims of domestic violence', Health and Social Care in the Community, Volume 16 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2008-Jan