ISSUES
: Domestic Violence
Chapter 2: Tackling domestic abuse
31
profound and chronic harm, major
state intervention or, in the worse
cases, end in preventable death.
That’s why Citizens Advice are
about to launch a campaign to
equip anyone in society with the
tools to recognise the signs of
abuse, broach the topic safely and
respond appropriately.
Alongside this publication, Citizens
Advice have developed materials
to kick-start a national campaign
in September. These resources will
be freely available, and we welcome
and encourage others in society
– community and faith groups,
employers, hairdressers, pubs,
music venues, sports teams – to
consider displaying posters and
advice to help people spot abuse
early on.
More fundamentally, we encourage
anyone to consider those close to
them, and if they have concerns, to
safely ask about abuse, using the
clear framework we have developed,
with input from specialists.
This year, let’s make sure someone
reaches out to anyone who might
be made afraid, feel controlled or
assaulted by their partner.
Let’s all take responsibility to bring
abuse out of the shadows.
Read Citizens Advice’s new report
A link in the chain: the role of friends
and family in tackling domestic
abuse:
.
uk/Global/CitizensAdvice/Crime%20
and%20Justice%20Publications/
Linkinthechain.pdf.
Imogen Parker is Senior Policy
Researcher at Citizens Advice.
Follow her @ImogenParker
27 August 2015
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The above information is
reprinted with kind permission
from Imogen Parker. Please
visit blogs.citizensadvice.org.
uk for further information.
© Citizens Advice 2016
Leopards can’t change
their spots but domestic
violence programmes do
change lives
An article from
The Conversation
.
By Nicole Westmarland, Professor of Criminology, Durham
University and Liz Kelly, Professor of Sexualised Violence,
London Metropolitan University
“C
an a leopard really
change its spots?”
“Does
everyone
deserve a second chance?” “Do
perpetrator programmes work?”
These are some of the questions
we are being asked this week as we
release findings from a programme
of research five years in the making
– Project Mirabal.
As feminists concerned with the
safety and freedom of women and
children, it would be fair to say
we took with us a healthy degree
of scepticism as we went into this
research on the effectiveness of
intervention programmes. Our
previous projects and those of our
peers have taught us that men who
use violence in relationships are
often not only physically violent,
but manipulative, threatening,
controlling and abusive.
But our previous research has
also shown us that if we really
want to end domestic violence,
working with women and children
just isn’t enough. It is absolutely
essential that something happens
to the men. The problem is, we
have surprisingly little knowledge
at the moment about what that
‘something’ looks like or who it
might work for.
Domestic violence perpetrator
programmes involve groups of men
who have used violence or abuse
against a partner or ex-partner. Some
are ordered by a criminal court to
go on these programmes as part of
their sentence. But the programmes
we looked at were attended by men
who had volunteered or who had
been referred by social services,
a family court or by a partner
telling them that if they don’t get
‘professional help’ their relationship
would be over.
Early in the programme they learn
techniques for managing their
feelings and their use of violence.
Later in the course, they consider
how their actions affect others –
including their children – and are
challenged to think about what
male dominance means both
in their relationship and in the
world outside. They are lengthy
programmes and women (and
sometimes children) are offered
support alongside, but separate to,
the men’s programme.
We found remarkable results in
terms of the reduction in physical
and sexual violence. A total of
30% of women involved in the
programme reported being made
to “do something sexual” they did
not want to do in the three months
before the programme started.
That was reduced to zero a year
after starting the programme.
Similarly, reporting of having a
weapon used against them reduced
from 29% to zero. Those who said
they were slapped, punched or had
something thrown at them reduced
from 87% to 7%. Far fewer women
reported being physically injured
after the programme (61% before
compared to 2% after) and the
extent to which children saw or
overheard violence also dropped
substantially, from 80% to 8%.
Beyond the physical
But of course, the story does not
end there. Feminists have been
