An article examined the limited influence which women survivors of domestic violence had within the services designed to help them.
Source: Audrey Mullender and Gill Hague, 'Giving a voice to women survivors of domestic violence through recognition as a service user group': Subtitle, British Journal of Social Work, Volume 35 Number 8
Links: Abstract
Date: 2005-Dec
A report examined the performance of government departments in tackling violence against women. It said that there was little or no co-ordination between departments, and that many did not understand the relevance of violence against women to their work.
Source: Making the Grade: An independent analysis of government violence against women initiatives, Women s National Commission (020 7215 6933), on behalf of the End of Violence Against Women Campaign Coalition
Links: Report | Amnesty press release
Date: 2005-Dec
An article examined whether the views of domestic violence survivors were both heard and heeded by professionals.
Source: Gill Hague, 'Domestic violence survivors' forums in the UK: experiments in involving abused women in domestic violence services and policy-making', Journal of Gender Studies, Volume 14 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2005-Nov
A report criticized a lack of government action to prevent violence against women.
Source: Making the Grade: An independent analysis of government violence against women initiatives, Fawcett Society (020 7253 2598)
Links: Report | Fawcett Society press release
Date: 2005-Nov
The independent Sentencing Guidelines Council published a final guideline applying to offenders found guilty of manslaughter, rather than murder, on the basis that they had been provoked. Actual or expected violence from the victim would generally be regarded as involving a higher degree of provocation than abuse, infidelity, or offensive words - so that women who killed their violent husbands or lovers would be treated more leniently.
Source: Manslaughter by Reason of Provocation: Guideline, Sentencing Advisory Panel (020 7035 5158)
Links: Guideline | SAP press release | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Nov
A report said that the sex offender treatment programme produced observable benefits, as self-reported in prison by rapists and sexual murderers: but it should not necessarily be regarded as sufficient treatment to reduce risk in these offenders.
Source: Anthony Beech, Caroline Oliver, Dawn Fisher and Richard Beckett, STEP 4: The Sex Offender Treatment Programme in Prison: Addressing the offending behaviour of rapists and sexual murderers, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2005-Oct
An inspectorate report examined how domestic violence issues were addressed by the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service and administered within family courts.
Source: Domestic Violence, Safety and Family Proceedings, HM Inspectorate of Court Administration (0117 959 8201)
Links: Report (pdf) | DCA press release | HMICA press release (pdf)
Date: 2005-Oct
A survey found that more than 1 in 3 young women said they had been sexually assaulted after getting drunk.
Source: Anatomy of a Big Night Out, Portman Group (020 7907 3700)
Links: Portman Group press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Sep
A report provided a commentary on the new domestic violence performance indicator for local authorities (which came into force on 1 April 2005), and described how authorities had been developing their responses.
Source: Implementing the New Domestic Violence Best Value Performance Indicator, Local Government Association (020 7664 3000)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2005-Sep
A survey found that virtually all victims of stalking suffered severe emotional and physical effects.
Source: Press release 23 September 2005, School of Psychology/University of Leicester (0116 252 2522)
Links: University of Leicester press release | ACPO press release | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Sep
A report presented the findings of research into a programme of engagement in, and support for, local domestic violence partnerships.
Source: Frances Abraham, Learning from Domestic Violence Partnerships, Local Government Association (020 7664 3000)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2005-Sep
A report said that pilot schemes were providing better support to domestic violence victims; and that extra training for police, prosecutors and magistrates had increased convictions and reduced the number of cases which collapsed because witnesses did not turn up.
Source: Christine Vallely, Amanda Robinson, Mandy Burton and Jasmin Tregidga, Evaluation of Domestic Violence Pilots Sites at Caerphilly (Gwent) and Croydon 2005/2005: Independent report, Crown Prosecution Service (020 7796 8000)
Links: Report (pdf) | CPS press release
Date: 2005-Jun
A draft sentencing guideline was published on cases where offenders were found guilty of manslaughter rather than murder, on the basis they were severely provoked. The guideline recommended that, in most cases, even the victims of domestic violence should expect to go to prison if they killed someone: but it acknowledged that such offences should be treated quite differently to murder, which carried a mandatory life sentence.
Source: Manslaughter by Reason of Provocation: Draft guideline, Sentencing Advisory Panel (020 7035 5158)
Links: Guideline (pdf) | SAP press release (pdf)
Date: 2005-May
The government published a national action plan on domestic violence. It set out the progress made so far, and outlined future proposals to further improve support to victims and bring more perpetrators to justice.
Source: Domestic Violence: A National Report, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Action plan (pdf) | Home Office press release
Date: 2005-Mar
A new book provided an account of the nature and extent of sex crime and offending, and the policies and legislative actions taken to combat it.
Source: Terry Thomas, Sex Crime: Sex offending and society (second edition), Willan Publishing (01884 840337)
Links: Summary
Date: 2005-Feb
Researchers evaluated the STAR (Surviving Trauma After Rape) Young Persons Project. The project was initiated in West Yorkshire in 2000 as part of the Home Office Crime Reduction Programme Violence Against Women Initiative.
Source: Tina Skinner and Helen Taylor, Providing Counselling, Support and Information to Survivors of Rape: An evaluation of the STAR Young Persons Project, Online Report 51/04, Home Office (web publication only)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2005-Feb
A report said that more women and children had stayed in domestic violence refuges in 2003-04; numbers had risen by nearly 8 per cent from the previous year.
Source: Alida Toren, 2004 Survey of Domestic Violence Services (England), Women's Aid Federation of England (0117 944 4411)
Links: Report (pdf) | Community Care report
Date: 2005-Feb
A report examined women s experience of violence - including domestic violence, forced marriage, rape and sexual assault, sexual harassment, so-called honour crimes and trafficking in women. It called on the government to adopt an integrated, strategic approach to ending all forms of violence against women.
Source: Liz Kelly and Jo Lovett, What a Waste: The case for an integrated violence against women strategy, Women s National Commission (020 7215 6933)
Links: Report (pdf) | Amnesty press release
Date: 2005-Feb
The government published a revised policy, guidance and training programme for prosecuting cases of domestic violence. The new guidance reflected an increased emphasis on the safety of victims and children, and contained new sections on enhancing a victim s ability to give evidence - including the use of special measures and the introduction of reporting restrictions. Emphasis was placed on more effective evidence-gathering, safer bail conditions, and practical guidance on how to proceed if a victim withdrew support for the case.
Source: Policy for Prosecuting Cases of Domestic Violence, Crown Prosecution Service (020 7796 8000)
Links: Policy Statement (pdf) | CPS press release
Date: 2005-Feb
A report examined two evaluation projects funded by the Crime Reduction Programme Violence Against Women Initiative. The primary aim of the study was to increase understanding of attrition, with an emphasis on early withdrawal from the criminal justice system process by complainants.
Source: Liz Kelly, Jo Lovett and Linda Regan, A Gap or a Chasm?: Attrition in reported rape cases, Research Study 293, Home Office (020 7273 2084)
Links: Study (pdf) | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Feb
Researchers evaluated pilot projects that aimed to develop and implement local strategies to reduce domestic violence, rape and sexual assault. Of the 34 projects, 27 focused on domestic violence and 7 on rape and sexual assault. The key aim of the evaluations was to identify what worked to support victims and tackle domestic violence, via an assessment of project design, implementation, delivery, outputs, impact and cost.
Source: Marianne Hester and Nicole Westmarland, Tackling Domestic Violence: Effective interventions and approaches, Research Study 290, Home Office (020 7273 2084)
Links: Study (pdf)
Date: 2005-Feb
A national survey examined the educational programmes teaching young people about violence against women and girls, and how to prevent it. The report warned that the programmes were threatened by long-term funding problems.
Source: Jane Ellis, Preventing Violence Against Women and Girls, Womankind Worldwide (info@womankind.org.uk)
Links: Womankind press release | Children Now report
Date: 2005-Jan