An article examined the impact of prevention-centred homelessness policy responses to domestic violence, with specific reference to the 'sanctuary' model. It said that sanctuary services had the potential to provide greater autonomy to some women, but they were not appropriate for all. (Sanctuary schemes support women to remain in their existing residence, protected against attack from outside the home.)
Source: Gina Netto, Hal Pawson and Cathy Sharp, 'Preventing homelessness due to domestic violence: providing a safe space or closing the door to new possibilities?', Social Policy and Administration, Volume 43 Number 7
Links: Abstract
Date: 2009-Dec
A survey found that just over 1 in 4 people in Northern Ireland who had been the subject of some form of sexual victimization had reported the matter to the police.
Source: Brian French and Rob Freel, Experience of Sexual Violence and Abuse: Findings from the 2008/09 Northern Ireland Crime Survey, Research and Statistical Bulletin 9/2009, Northern Ireland Office
Links: Report | NIE press release
Date: 2009-Dec
A report said that the cost of domestic violence in terms of lost economic output fell by nearly 30 per cent between 2001 and 2008.
Source: Sylvia Walby, The Cost of Domestic Violence: Up-date 2009, Lancaster University
Links: Lancaster University press release
Date: 2009-Dec
The government published a strategy that set out a co-ordinated approach to ending violence against women and girls. It included a range of actions for the police, local councils, the National Health Service, and government departments across three areas: prevention, provision, and protection. From 2011, preventing violence in relationships would be included in personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education in schools.
Source: Together We Can End Violence Against Women and Girls: A strategy, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Strategy | Annexes | Hansard | Home Office press release | Fawcett Society press release | YWCA press release | Amnesty press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Nov
A summary report examined how independent sexual violence advisor services have been implemented. In general the introduction of advisors was perceived by those interviewed to 'add value' to the existing victim services provided by sexual assault referral centres and voluntary sector organizations.
Source: Amanda Robinson, Independent Sexual Violence Advisors: A Process Evaluation, Research Report 20, Home Office (020 7273 2084)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Nov
An article examined the issue of forced marriage. There was a need for a more sophisticated and nuanced understanding of forced marriage. South Asian and Muslim communities were perceived as being largely responsible for forced marriages: but the range of communities in which forced marriage occurred was much wider.
Source: Khatidja Chantler, Geetanjali Gangoli and Marianne Hester, 'Forced marriage in the UK: religious, cultural, economic or state violence?', Critical Social Policy, Volume 29 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2009-Nov
A report said that closer links between independent domestic violence advisers and health services could prevent further abuse against women facing severe domestic violence.
Source: Emma Howarth, Louise Stimpson, Diana Barran and Amanda Robinson, Safety in Numbers: A multi-site evaluation of independent domestic violence advisor services, Hestia Fund
Links: Report | Summary | Children & Young People Now report | Telegraph report | Nursing Times report | Community Care report | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Nov
Chief Police Officers proposed the creation of a domestic violence register in order to track men in England and Wales who moved from one relationship to another after serially abusing their partners. They also called for the creation of a 'course of conduct' offence that would enable prosecutions to be brought against serial offenders even if the evidence were insufficient in each individual case.
Source: Tackling Perpetrators of Violence Against Women and Girls, Association of Chief Police Officers (020 7084 8950)
Links: ACPO press release | Guardian report | Telegraph report
Date: 2009-Nov
A report by the official 'Victims' Champion' examined rape victims' experience of the criminal justice system, and made recommendations for improvements. Police officers were still refusing to take complaints of rape seriously if the victims came from 'the wrong part of town', if they had been drinking, or if they had made previous allegations.
Source: Sara Payne, Rape: The Victim Experience Review, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Report | Home Office press release | Rape Crisis press release | Guardian report | Womensgrid report
Date: 2009-Nov
A report (by an official advisory body) summarized the views and recommendations made by the 300 women and girls in focus groups designed to inform the government's consultation on ending violence against women and girls.
Source: Still We Rise, Women's National Commission (020 7215 6933)
Links: Report | Womensgrid report
Date: 2009-Nov
A new book examined the issues and experiences of South Asian women and children who were affected by gendered violence.
Source: Ravi Thiara and Aisha Gill (eds.), Violence Against Women in South Asian Communities: Issues for policy and practice, Jessica Kingsley Publishers (020 7833 2307)
Links: Summary
Date: 2009-Oct
An article examined how homeless women understood their choice to undertake sex work. Homeless women's decisions were, in part, a consequence of systemic familial abuse and coercion from abusive partners: but, in responding to the complex needs of such women, 'abuse' and 'coercion' should not routinely be equated with 'victimhood'.
Source: Rachel Harding and Paul Hamilton, 'Working girls: abuse or choice in street-level sex work? A study of homeless women in Nottingham', British Journal of Social Work, Volume 39 Number 6
Links: Abstract
Date: 2009-Sep
A survey found that one-third of teenage girls reported suffering unwanted sexual acts in a relationship, and that one-quarter had been physically assaulted by their boyfriends.
Source: Christine Barter, Melanie McCarry, David Berridge and Kathy Evans, Partner Exploitation and Violence in Teenage Intimate Relationships, National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (0207 825 2775)
Links: Summary | NSPCC press release | Bristol University press release | Telegraph report | Community Care report | Guardian report | BBC report
Date: 2009-Sep
A collection of essays examined the obstacles confronting the processing of rape cases through the criminal justice system.
Source: Miranda Horvath and Jennifer Brown (eds.), Rape: Challenging contemporary thinking, Willan Publishing (01884 840337)
Links: Summary
Date: 2009-Sep
The government announced new measures designed to help victims of domestic violence. The police would be able to initiate a 'domestic violence protection order' barring perpetrators of domestic violence from their homes for up to a fortnight, giving their victim breathing space to consider their options.
Source: Press release 29 September 2009, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Home Office press release
Date: 2009-Sep
The government announced a review of how rape complaints were handled, from when a rape was first disclosed until the court reached a verdict. The review (led by Baroness Stern) would look at how public authorities (including the police, local authorities, health providers, and the Crown Prosecution Service) responded to rape complaints; how they interacted with one another; and professionals' attitudes to rape and to evidence from the victims.
Source: Press release 22 September 2009, Government Equalities Office (020 7944 0601)
Links: GEO press release | Fawcett Society press release | Rape Crisis press release | ACPO press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Sep
An annual report examined progress on early identification of domestic violence, capacity building to improve support for victims, and improvements to the way the criminal justice system dealt with domestic violence.
Source: National Domestic Violence Delivery Plan: Annual Progress Report 2008-09, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Report
Date: 2009-Aug
Researchers compared and contrasted violence against women in rural and urban settings. Rural women were less likely to perceive violence as a problem in their communities, despite rural and urban women reporting equal levels of violence and abuse.
Source: Melanie McCarry and Emma Williamson, Violence Against Women in Rural and Urban Areas, National Federation of Women's Institutes (020 7371 9300)
Links: Report | NFWI press release
Date: 2009-Aug
A study of domestic violence perpetrators found that men abused more than women did, but that women were three times more likely to be arrested; men inflicted more violence than women did, and were more likely to instil fear in their victims; women were more likely to use weapons, often in order to protect themselves; the largest number of repeat incidents occurred when both men and women inflicted violence; the majority of cases involved alcohol abuse; and children were present in the majority of cases, with some incidents related to child contact.
Source: Marianne Hester, Who Does What to Whom? Gender and domestic violence perpetrators, Violence Against Women Research Group/University of Bristol (0117 954 5561) with Northern Rock Foundation
Links: Report | Bristol University press release | Fawcett Society press release | Telegraph report | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Aug
The Law Lords ruled that women who were occupying rooms in women's refuges, having fled domestic violence, did not have any accommodation that it was reasonable to continue to occupy. As a result, they were 'homeless' within the statutory definition of homelessness, and entitled to the benefit of homelessness assistance from local housing authorities.
Source: Birmingham City Council v Ali and others, and Moran v Manchester City Council, UKHL 36 (Session 2008-09), House of Lords Judicial Office (020 7219 3111)
Links: Text of judgement | Womens Aid press release
Date: 2009-Jul
A blueprint outlined ways in which the Scottish Government, local authorities, and key support agencies would work together to tackle all forms of violence against women.
Source: Safer Lives, Changed Lives: A shared approach to tackling violence against women in Scotland, Scottish Government (web publication only) and COSLA
Links: Report | SG press release
Date: 2009-Jun
The Scottish Parliament approved a Bill to reform the law on rape and sexual offences, based on proposals from the Scottish Law Commission. For the first time it defined 'consent' in law, and replaced the common law offence of rape with a broader statutory offence (including male rape). It introduced new statutory offences dealing with sexual exposure, particularly in non-public places; the 'spiking' of drinks for sexual purposes; and coercive sexual conduct, including sexually offensive emails or texts.
Source: Sexual Offences (Scotland) Bill, Scottish Government, TSO, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283) | Scottish Parliament Official Report, Debate 10 June 2009, columns 18165-18219, TSO
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | Policy memorandum | Official Report | SG press release | BBC report
Date: 2009-Jun
The Welsh Assembly Government began consultation on a strategic action plan to address violence against women.
Source: Strategic Action Plan to Address Violence Against Women and to Update the Welsh Assembly Government's Domestic Abuse Strategy: Consultation Document, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Links: Consultation document
Date: 2009-Jun
The government announced new measures designed to improve the investigation and prosecution of rape, and to provide support to victims. A 'Rape Performance Group', led by the police inspectorate and the Crown Prosecution Service, would monitor police and prosecution service performance on rape and undertake continuous assessments of performance.
Source: Press release 15 April 2009, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Home Office press release | Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2)
Date: 2009-Apr
A study concluded that there was not enough evidence to justify asking all women about domestic violence when they consulted a doctor or a nurse, whether this was in hospital or general practice.
Source: Gene Feder et al., How Far Does Screening Women for Domestic (Partner) Violence in Different Health-care Settings Meet Criteria for a Screening Programme? Systematic reviews of nine UK National Screening Committee criteria, Health Technology Assessment, Volume 13 Number 16
Links: Report | Bristol University press release
Date: 2009-Mar
The government began consultation on a new strategy to combat violence against women in England. It said that more action was needed to prevent violence against women and girls; help them feel safer when they were out, especially at night; further improve the help women and girls received when it was needed; and catch and convict perpetrators.
Source: Together We Can End Violence Against Women and Girls, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Consultation document | Hansard | Home Office press release | ACPO press release | Amnesty press release | Telegraph report | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Mar
The Welsh Assembly Government responded to a report by an Assembly Committee on domestic abuse.
Source: Communities and Culture Committee Inquiry into Domestic Abuse in Wales: Response, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Date: 2009-Feb
A report said that 1 in 4 local authorities offered no specialized services for women who had faced violence or abuse; and that one-quarter of those rape crisis centres that were still operating believed they would either have to close or radically cut services in 2009.
Source: Maddy Coy, Liz Kelly and Jo Foord, Map of Gaps 2: The postcode lottery of violence against women support services in Britain, Equality and Human Rights Commission (020 3117 0235) and End Violence Against Women
Links: Report | LGA press release | Guardian report | Telegraph report | Community Care report | Womensgrid report
Date: 2009-Jan
A report by a committee of MSPs endorsed the principles of the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Bill: but it highlighted areas of concern and ambiguity, especially regarding sexual activity between older children. The committee also supported calls for the creation of a new statutory offence of rape with an object.
Source: Stage 1 Report on the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Bill, 1st Report 2009, SP Paper 194, Scottish Parliament Justice Committee, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report | SP press release | BBC report | Christian Institute report
Date: 2009-Jan