A position paper examined the issue of male violence against women at a European and national level, and made recommendations for action.
Source: Towards a Europe Free from All Forms of Male Violence Against Women, Centre on Violence against Women/European Women's Lobby
Links: Paper | EWL press release
Date: 2010-Dec
An inspectorate report in Northern Ireland said that there had been improvements in the way domestic violence and abuse incidents were handled by the criminal justice agencies in Northern Ireland, and a growing recognition of the need to understand issues around domestic violence and abuse: but it made 13 recommendations for further improvement.
Source: Domestic Violence and Abuse: A thematic inspection of the handling of domestic violence and abuse cases by the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland, Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland
Links: Report | CJINI press release | BBC report
Date: 2010-Dec
A new book examined peer violence between children and young people. It challenged representations of youth violence as essentially 'evil'.
Source: Christine Barter and David Berridge (eds.), Children Behaving Badly? Peer violence between children and young people, Wiley
Links: Summary | Bristol University press release
Date: 2010-Dec
A report examined the main features of violence against women in Europe. It gave an overview of action designed to address this form of violence – in terms of prevention, victim support, and social reintegration – and highlighted the policy implications.
Source: Chiara Crepaldi, Manuela Samek Lodovici and Marcella Corsi (with Sandra Naaf), Violence Against Women and the Role of Gender Equality, Social Inclusion and Health Strategies: Synthesis report, European Commission
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Dec
An evidence review examined the relationship between domestic abuse, housing, and homelessness in Scotland.
Source: Domestic Abuse, Housing and Homelessness in Scotland: An Evidence Review, Scottish Government
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Nov
Researchers examined the outcomes of early intervention and multi-agency working for victim/survivors of domestic violence, their children, and perpetrators. Early intervention was shown to be effective in both of the projects involved.
Source: Catherine Donovan, Sue Griffiths and Nicola Groves with Hilary Johnson and Jeffrey Douglass, Evaluation of Early Intervention Models for Change in Domestic Violence: Northern Rock Foundation Domestic Abuse Intervention Project, 2004-09, Northern Rock Foundation
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Nov
A study examined the extent, scale, and regional distribution of a wide range of housing-related support for those at risk of domestic violence. It looked at access to housing advice, refuge provision, other specialist accommodation, access to settled accommodation, and the role of floating support.
Source: Deborah Quilgars and Nicholas Pleace, Meeting the Needs of Households at Risk of Domestic Violence in England: The role of accommodation and housing-related support services, Department for Communities and Local Government
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Nov
The government published a cross-departmental plan for tackling violence against women and girls. It also announced pilots of domestic violence protection orders from the summer of 2011, giving the police the power to protect victims in the aftermath of an attack by preventing alleged abusers from having contact with the victim or from returning to the victim's home. The Department of Health published an action plan designed to improve services for women and child victims of violence; and it announced up to £3.2 million to improve and expand sexual assault referral centres.
Source: Call to End Violence against Women and Girls, Home Office | Improving Services for Women and Child Victims of Violence: The Department of Health Action Plan, Department of Health
Links: Cross-department plan | Hansard | Home Office press release | DH action plan | Hansard | DH press release | Green Party press release | Women's Aid press release | BBC report | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2010-Nov
An article said that the issue of parent abuse remained an unacknowledged and under-researched form of family violence – perhaps due to the way it transgressed conventional notions of family power relations in which children were seen as potential victims but not as perpetrators. The authors developed a framework for analyzing the complexity of family power relations, and explored how these might inform the context in which parent abuse and victimization occurred.
Source: Jerry Tew and Judy Nixon, 'Parent abuse: opening up a discussion of a complex instance of family power relations', Social Policy and Society, Volume 9 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Oct
An article examined deaths related to child abuse in England and Wales over the period 1974-2006. Death rates were at a record low, and significantly greater progress had been made in reducing them than in most other major developed countries.
Source: Colin Pritchard and Richard Williams, 'Comparing possible "child-abuse-related-deaths" in England and Wales with the major developed countries 1974-2006: signs of progress?', British Journal of Social Work, Volume 40 Number 6
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Sep
A new book examined what was known about appropriate treatment responses to those who had experienced, and those who perpetrated, domestic and sexual violence and abuse.
Source: Catherine Itzin, Ann Taket and Sarah Barter-Godfrey, Domestic and Sexual Violence and Abuse: Tackling the Health and Mental Health Effects, Routledge
Links: Summary
Date: 2010-Sep
A report said that a substantial minority of domestic violence cases involved a male victim and female perpetrator.
Source: Domestic Violence: The Male Perspective, Parity
Links: Report | Guardian report
Date: 2010-Sep
Researchers examined the effectiveness of schemes to enable households at risk of domestic violence to remain in their homes. 'Sanctuary' schemes were thought to have been successful in their main aim of providing a safe alternative for households at risk of domestic violence, and preventing the disruption associated with homelessness. (Sanctuary schemes are a multi-agency victim-centred initiative involving the installation of a 'sanctuary' room in the home.)
Source: Anwen Jones, Joanne Bretherton, Roger Bowles and Karen Croucher, The Effectiveness of Schemes to Enable Households at Risk of Domestic Violence to Remain in their Homes, Department for Communities and Local Government
Links: Report | Summary | Guidance
Date: 2010-Aug
An article examined sexual violence policy in England and Wales. Criminal justice proceedings could intensify or create further trauma for sexual violence survivors.
Source: Alison Phipps, 'Violent and victimized bodies: sexual violence policy in England and Wales', Critical Social Policy, Volume 30 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Aug
An article examined the offence of familial homicide, contrasting the experience of two women whose children died violently at the hands of their partners. It said that social work practice might have moved away from the defence of disadvantaged women and 'failed to speak and act' on their behalf.
Source: Mark Drakeford and Ian Butler, 'Familial homicide and social work', British Journal of Social Work, Volume 40 Number 5
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Jul
Researchers examined the delivery of accredited programmes for domestic violence offenders in custody and community settings. Many aspects of the programmes were delivered as intended, particularly the main group work element.
Source: Karen Bullock, Sophie Sarre, Roger Tarling and Mike Wilkinson, The Delivery of Domestic Abuse Programmes: An implementation study of the delivery of domestic abuse programmes in probation areas and Her Majesty s Prison Service, Research Report 15/10, Ministry of Justice
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Jul
An article examined whether political devolution in Scotland had led to positive gender outcomes, focusing on the case of domestic violence policy. Domestic violence provided a 'striking case' where devolution had made a difference to the substantive representation of women, with positive – albeit fragile – outcomes.
Source: Fiona Mackay, 'Gendering constitutional change and policy outcomes: substantive representation and domestic violence policy in Scotland', Policy & Politics, Volume 38 Number 3 Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Jul
The Court of Appeal ruled that perpetrators of domestic violence could be evicted from a property (a housing association property in the case in question) even if they had moved out and split up with their partner.
Source: Metropolitan Housing Trust v Hadjazi, Court of Appeal 1 July 2010
Links: Text of judgement | Inside Housing report
Date: 2010-Jul
A new book examined the long-term outcomes for women who had suffered domestic violence and abuse. It highlighted the factors that helped or hindered a successful transition from abusive relationship to independent living.
Source: Hilary Abrahams (ed.), Rebuilding Lives after Domestic Violence: Understanding long-term outcomes, Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Links: Summary | Bristol University press release | British Academy press release
Date: 2010-May
An article examined the ways in which recognition of domestic violence could be hampered by 'public stories' about the phenomenon and practices of love. Public stories constructed domestic violence as a gendered, heterosexual phenomenon that was predominantly physical in nature. Victims of domestic violence were also constructed as 'other', weak, and passive.
Source: Catherine Donovan and Marianne Hester, '"I hate the word 'victim'": an exploration of recognition of domestic violence in same sex relationships', Social Policy and Society, Volume 9 Issue 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Apr
A report examined case management, interventions, and outcomes in respect of looked-after children who were returned to their parents during 2001. In three-fifths of cases plans made during care proceedings did not work out when the child was returned. Two years after their return 59 per cent of the children had been abused or neglected.
Source: Elaine Farmer and Eleanor Lutman, Case Management and Outcomes for Neglected Children Returned to their Parents: A five year follow-up study, Research Brief RB214, Department for Children, Schools and Families
Links: Brief | Community Care report
Date: 2010-Mar
A report called for the national roll-out of multi-agency risk assessment conferences to tackle domestic abuse. By bringing all agencies involved in a case together to share information, a co-ordinated safety plan could be put together more quickly and effectively.
Source: Saving Lives, Saving Money: MARACs and high risk domestic abuse, Co-ordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse
Links: Report | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2010-Mar