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 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
The Director of Public Prosecutions announced a change in the way that the Crown Prosecution Service dealt with cases against women who withdrew rape claims. He said any decision to prosecute in such cases would in future require his personal approval.
Source: Press release 16 December 2010, Crown Prosecution Service
Links: CPS press release | Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2)
Date: 2010-Dec
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
The government announced that it had abandoned plans to grant anonymity to defendants in rape trials, following publication of an evidence review.
Source: Written Ministerial Statement 12 November 2010, columns 27-28WS, House of Commons Hansard/TSO | Rebecca Endean, Providing Anonymity to Those Accused of Rape: An assessment of evidence, Research Report 20/10, Ministry of Justice
Links: Hansard | Report | Labour Party press release | Guardian 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
A report examined the nature and extent of the trafficking of foreign nationals for sexual exploitation. Around 17,000 of the estimated 30,000 women involved in off-street prostitution in England and Wales were migrants. Approximately one-half come from eastern Europe and one-third from Asia.
Source: Keith Jackson, Jon Jeffery and George Adamson, Setting the Record: The trafficking of migrant women in the England and Wales off-street prostitution sector, Association of Chief Police Officers
Links: Report | Home Office press release | Amnesty press release
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
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
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
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
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
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 three social reactions to the sexual violence of men – moral panics, risk assessments, and denial. It suggested a wider approach to community safety that incorporated education and a critical perspective on dominant ways of being male as a key part of preventing and reducing male sexual coercion.
Source: Malcolm Cowburn, 'Invisible men: social reactions to male sexual coercion – bringing men and masculinities into community safety and public policy', Critical Social Policy, Volume 30 Issue 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-May
A study examined evidence of attitudinal changes to rape over time, based on a comparison of two opinion polls taken in 1977 and 2010. Rape continued to be seen as the most serious crime after murder. The opinion that rape law was unfair to victims, and that the charge of rape was difficult to prove, remained strongly held.
Source: Jennifer Brown, Miranda Horvath, Liz Kelly and Nicole Westmarland, Has Anything Changed? Results of a comparative study (1977-2010) on opinions on rape, Government Equalities Office
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Apr
A literature review examined the investigation and prosecution of rape cases.
Source: Jennifer Brown, Miranda Horvath, Liz Kelly and Nicole Westmarland, Connections and Disconnections: Assessing evidence, knowledge and practice in responses to rape, Government Equalities Office
Date: 2010-Apr
An independent review examined the way in which rape complaints were handled by public authorities in England and Wales – from the moment a rape was first disclosed until the court had reached a verdict. It said that there had been substantial improvements in recent years in the way in which rape complaints were handled, and that the basic policies being followed were the right ones. But implementation of these policies was patchy and needed to be improved.
Source: The Stern Review, Home Office
Links: Report | Interim government response | Hansard | Home Office press release | WNC press release | Fawcett Society press release | ACPO press release | Amnesty press release | Durham University press release | Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2) | Guardian report (3) | Children & Young People Now report | Telegraph report
Date: 2010-Mar
An independent taskforce report set out a series of recommendations for the National Health Service to improve healthcare for women and children who were victims of violence – including sexual violence, domestic violence, 'harmful traditional practices', and human trafficking.
Source: Taskforce on the Health Aspects of Violence Against Women and Children, Responding to Violence Against Women and Children: The Role of the NHS, Department of Health
Links: Report | Government response | Hansard | DH press release | Bristol University press release | Nursing Times report
Date: 2010-Mar
The Welsh Assembly Government published an integrated strategy and implementation plan designed to address all forms of violence against women in Wales that extended beyond domestic abuse – including issues such as honour based violence, female genital mutilation, and forced marriage.
Source: The Right to be Safe, Welsh Assembly Government | The Violence Against Women and Domestic Abuse Implementation Plan 2010-13, Welsh Assembly Government
Links: Strategy | Implementation plan | WAG press release | Womensgrid 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
A report by an official advisory group examined ways in which schools could most effectively tackle the issue of violence against women and girls.
Source: Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG): Advisory Group final report and recommendations, Department for Children, Schools and Families
Links: Report | DCSF response | DCSF press release
Date: 2010-Mar
A joint watchdog report said that human trafficking was an active but largely hidden problem in Northern Ireland. It called for a co-ordinated response to human trafficking and more support for its victims.
Source: Agnieszka Martynowicz, Sarah Toucas and Anne Caughey, The Nature and Extent of Human Trafficking in Northern Ireland, Equality Commission for Northern Ireland/Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission
Links: Report | ECNI press release
Date: 2010-Jan