‘If only we’d known’: an exploratory study of seven intimate partner homicides in Engleshire

During one year there were five cases of intimate partner femicide (IPF) in Engleshire two of which involved perpetrator suicide. This cluster of cases were unusual in that there had been no prior agency involvement and, it appeared, minimal previous violence. This report addresses the knowledge of informal network members about these cases, the current knowledge base on IPF among professionals, and the relevance of risk assessment and management models to the Engleshire cases. The key research question was to examine what families and wider informal networks knew about the couple's relationship during the period leading up to the victim's death, to enhance understanding of femicide and improve agency responses.

Authors: Linda Regan, Liz Kelly

Violence against women: A briefing document on international issues and responses

An updated and revised version of the original British Council Briefing Document published in 1999. This revised document is an introduction to definitions, scale and impact of violence against women, relationship with development and exploration of responses.

Available from the British Council. Also available to download from the British Council website.

Please note, Jo Lovett should also be listed as an author of list document. The British Council are making amendments

Authors: Liz Kelly, Jo Lovett, Linda Regan

Domestic violence and substance use: overlapping issues in separate services?

 

Authors: Catherine Humphreys, Linda Regan, Ravi K. Thiara

Prevention not Prediction? A preliminary evaluation of the Metropolitan Police Domestic Violence Risk Assessment Model (SPECSS)

This is the final report that explores the findings from an evaluation of the domestic violence risk assessment process piloted by the police in London and West Yorkshire.

The project evaluated the effect of the ACPO risk assessment model by assessing whether it;

• Complies with the ACPO guidelines;
• Addresses victims needs in terms of risk;
• Compliments safety planning;
• Can be managed with police force limitations;
• Can be applied irrespective of geography, community or policing variables.

See Project: ACPO Risk Assessment Evaluation and click on 2005

Authors: Catherine Humphreys, Ravi K. Thiara, Linda Regan, Jo Lovett, Lorna M Dubois, Andy Gibson

Domestic Violence and Substance Use: Tackling Complexity

Authors: Catherine Humphreys, Linda Regan, Dawn River, Ravi K. Thiara

Domestic violence and substance use: overlapping issues in separate services?

This briefing summarieses findings from a one-year research porject, jointly funded by the Home Office and the Greater London Authority (GLA), which explored the overlap between domestic violence and substance use by men and women who are accessing services in these sectors.

See Project: The Links Between Domestic Violence and Substance Misuse

Both the Briefing Report and the Full Report are available to view below.

Authors: Catherine Humphreys, Ravi K. Thiara, Linda Regan

A gap or a chasm? Attrition in reported rape cases

This report documents the largest and most up to date study of attrition in reporting rape in the UK.

The study involved prospective tracking of 3,500 rape cases through the criminal justice system, supplemented by data from 228 complainants and 120 professionals.

The results show an ongoing decline in the conviction rate for reported rape cases, with Home Office figures reaching an all-time low of 5.6 per cent in 2002.

Three-quarters of the sample reported to the police. However, 80% of these cases did not proceed beyond the police stage due to a combination of no criming, evidential issues and victims withdrawing their support from the criminal justice process. Only a minority of cases reached the trial stage, and here an acquittal was the more likely outcome, especially with respect to adults. Alcohol was implicated in a high proportion of cases but drugs were involved in relatively few.

The extremely low conviction rate suggests there is a chasm between complainants' expectations of the criminal justice process and what it actually delivers. However, in identifying six attrition pints, and the issues associated with them, this study finds that attrition can be conceived of as a series of smaller gaps, each of which could be addressed through targeted interventions.

Available to view at the Home Office website.

See Project: Understanding of Attrition, Decreasing Early Withdrawals and Developing Best Practice for Reporting Rape

 

Authors: Liz Kelly, Jo Lovett, Linda Regan

Final Report of the Portsmouth Domestic Violence Intervention Project (EIP) Evaluation

This report evaluates an EIP pilot project based in Portsmouth. The aim of the project is to reduce repeat victimisation by providing support and information about the options available to anyone experiencing domestic violence at the point of crisis.

Method:

• the development of a relational database to monitor and track cases across the service;
• questionnaires and focus groups with hospital staff in order to evaluate the training that they have received to respond appropriately to domestic violence;
• focus groups with Project staff to explore issues arising from the implementation of the intervention;
• structured telephone interviews with multi-agency partners to assess the need for, impact and effectiveness of the Project;
• questionnaires or telephone interviews with service users to gather information on their use and experience of the Project and other related domestic violence a number of in-depth case studies involving service users, Project staff and any other relevant agencies, which will explore the operation of the Project 'on the ground'.

Summary of Findings:

Health Professionals;

• Only a small minority of health staff 'always' ask patients about domestic violence. Over three quarters 'seldom' or 'never' ask; Some staff were making decisions on 'relevance' before screening questions;
• Despite this, the majority say they are 'comfortable' or feel 'ok' about doing so;
• Where domestic violence has been disclosed, hospital staff report that it was they who broached the subject, in contrast to service users, who say that they did so;
• Where disclosure occurs, referral to EIP has become routine;
• EIP was seen as a useful service by these hospital staff;
• Hospital staff do not think that the profile of the Project is high enough within the hospitals.

Service Users;

• Just over half of EIP clients were referred from hospital departments;
• The overwhelming majority of clients were female, over half aged between 20 and 39 years and were White British. Two thirds have children;
• 40% had been in a relationship for less than five years;
• 95% of perpetrators were male;
• 82 % reported physical violence and for almost two thirds the violence had happened 'constantly' or 'often', for almost half it had happened throughout the relationship;
• 30 female clients had experienced violence during pregnancy;
• Just over one third of clients had experienced post separation violence;
• The Police had been involved in over three quarters of cases but only a minority (13%) of perpetrators had been subject to a prosecution for a domestic violence related offence;
• The majority of clients (71%) had between one and five contacts with EIP, however five had been in contact more than 50 times, raising concerns about 'heavy need' clients requiring long term support;
• Almost all clients wanted generalised 'support' and 'information';
• There was a very high level of telephone support provided to clients by EIP staff;
• Referral to other agencies continues to be a major strand of the support provided to clients;
• The Project appears to have successfully reduced repeat visits to the A&E department for domestic violence related injuries

See Project: Evaluation of the Portsmouth Domestic Violence Early Intervention Project (EIP)

 

 

Authors: Linda Regan

Sexual Assault Referral Centres: developing good practice and maximising potentials

Home Office Research Study 285.

Extract from Foreword;
'This report is one of a series of reports, which specifically reports on the findings from the evaluation of a number of projects, which were funded to support victims in the aftermath of rape. This specific report focuses on the contribution of Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs), and provides a valuable insight into the type of services that are needed to support victims in the aftermath of a traumatic crime such as rape. The findings are timely as many years after the original SARC in Manchester was established, a number of new SARCs have recently been established and several more are in the development stage'.

Available to view at the Home Office website.

See Project: Evaluation of the Crime Reduction Programme Violence Against Women Rape Projects, and a Linked National Evaluation of Sexual Assault Referral Centres

Authors: Jo Lovett, Linda Regan, Liz Kelly

Forensic Nursing: an option for improving responses to reported rape and sexual assault

Home Office Development and Practice Report 31.

The aim of this document is to provide concise guidance for a range professionals who have a role in commissioning,
organising or directly providing forensic examinations for those who have reported a rape or sexual assault. The
report, which is based upon research findings, concludes that forensic nursing can provide a cost-effective option to:
address delays in the provision of forensic examinations; increase the availability of female forensic examiners; and
also has potential to enhance professional standards.

Available from: the Home Office. Email:publications.rds@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

Also available to view at the Home Office website.

See Project: Forensic Nurse pilot at the St Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre

Authors: Liz Kelly, Jo Lovett, Linda Regan

Rape: Still a Forgotten Issue

This paper is one element of a much larger project seeking to develop and strengthen links between European women's NGOs working on rape. It builds on the previous Daphne Project Rape the Forgotten Issue (Kelly and Regan, 2001 - see below also). This report presents updated attrition data across a number of European countries, and shows how the rates of conviction for rape continue to fall to a contemporary all-time low in much of the EU and beyond.

Also available to view at the Rape Crisis Network Europe website.

The Attrition Charts appended to the report are available separately from the link below.

See Project: Rape: Strengthening the Linkages - Consolidating the European Network Project

Authors: Liz Kelly, Linda Regan

Good Practice in Medical Responses to Recently Reported Rape, Especially Forensic Examinations : A Briefing Paper for the Daphne Strengthening the Linkages Project

This short review explores current good practice in medical and forensic responses, both at practice and organisational levels. The first part discusses what is currently known about forensic evidence and forensic practice; the second explores a number of models for service delivery.

Also available in French as: Guide de Bonne Pratique Concernant les Réponses Médicales à Adopter Face aux Cas de Viol Récemment Déclarés, Surtout lors de la Conduite d'Examens Médico-Légaux.

View the report at the Rape Crisis Network Europe website.

See Project: Rape: Strengthening the Linkages - Consolidating the European Network Project

Authors: Liz Kelly, Linda Regan

'Stop Hitting Mum!' Children Talk about domestic violence

This is a touching book which demonstrates how children suffer. The authors interviewed 54 children who had lived with domestic violence, and this book quotes what these children had to say about how they feel.

 

 

Authors: Sheila Burton, Gill Hague, Umme F Imam, Liz Kelly, Ellen Malos, Audrey Mullender, Linda Regan

Teenage Tolerance: Exploring Young People's Experience and Responses to Violence and Abuse

CWASU undertook the research design, analysis and production of this report for Dublin Women's Aid. It examines young peoples' views on personal safety and danger; their encounters with interpersonal violence, committed both against themselves and against others known to them; their definitions of rape, sexual harassment and violence; safe and unsafe sex; the meaning of consent; contact with and attitudes to pornography, and young people's support needs.

See Project: Young people's attitudes to violence against women

Authors: Liz Kelly, Linda Regan

Rape: The Forgotten Issue? A European Research and Networking Project

This publication arose from a collaboration between three UK groups (CWASU, South Essex Rape and Incest Crisis Centre and Campaign to End Rape), supported by partners from Ireland (The Network of Rape Crisis Centres, Ireland) and Finland (Rape Crisis Centre, Tukinainen). One of the roles of CWASU in this partnership was to conduct research and produce this report on the criminal justice response to rape across Europe, which includes recommendations with regard to the need for, and potential roles of a European Network on rape and sexual assault.

See Project: Rape: The Forgotten Issue? A European Research and Networking Project

Authors: Liz Kelly, Linda Regan

Children's Perspectives on Domestic Violence

The research methodology and the problems encountered when studying a subject such as domestic violence, coupled with the ethical problems of researching with children, are discussed at length in the book. This gives a good insight into the intricacies of conducting such a research study. The research looked not only at children who were known to have direct contact with domestic violence, but also what children in general thought and felt about domestic violence.

Drawing on the newest research designed to hear the voices of children and young people, this important book examines children's experiences and perspectives on living with domestic violence. The authors explore:

- the effect of domestic violence on children

- what children say would help them most in coping with domestic violence

- the advice children would offer other children who find themselves in similar circumstances, their mothers and the helping professions.

Available from: Sage Publications, London

Authors: Gill Hague, Umme F Imam, Liz Kelly, Ellen Malos, Audrey Mullender, Linda Regan

Children and Domestic Violence - Its Impacts and Links with Woman Abuse

Here Linda Regan discusses what is known about the impact on children of living with domestic violence and the links between the abuse of mothers and the abuse of children. The paper provides an overview of what is known from research on children's experiences of domestic violence and explores the principle of woman protection as child protection.

Presented at: The Impact of Domestic Violence on Children Conference, October 2001.

 

Authors: Linda Regan

A Response to ‘Beyond Trauma’ - Appropriate Mental Health Responses to Survivors of Sexual Abuse

This paper was presented by Linda Regan in response to 'Beyond Trauma: Mental Health Care Needs of Women who have Survived Childhood Sexual Abuse', a report by Dr Sarah Nelson for the Edinburgh Association for Mental Health (2001). It explores the ways in which mental health professionals have traditionally responded to survivors of sexual abuse, and outlines more appropriate service provision based on the principles of 'Sanctuary and Sanctions'.

Presented at: The Beyond Trauma Conference, June 2001.

 

Authors: Linda Regan

Home Truths About Child Sexual Abuse: Influencing Policy and Practice - A Reader

Catherine Itzin (ed.), Routledge

Authors: Sheila Burton, Liz Kelly, Linda Regan

Rhetorics and Realities: Sexual Exploitation of Children in Europe

This report is based on a research proposal developed in partnership by CWASU (lead partner), Dublin Women's Aid, Ireland and ROKS, Sweden. The trans-European Project collected detailed data from justice departments, state agencies and NGOs concerning a broad range of issues related to the sexual exploitation of children.

See Project: Sexual exploitation of children in the context of children's rights and child protection - A European perspective

Authors: Liz Kelly, Linda Regan

Essays on Issues in Applied Developmental Psychology and Child Psychiatry

Amer A. Hosin (ed.), The Edwin Mellen Press

Authors: Liz Kelly, Linda Regan

Stopping Traffic: Exploring the Extent of, and Responses to, Trafficking in Women for Sexual Exploitation in the UK

This report presents the findings of research carried out to assess the nature and extent of trafficking in women for the purposes of sexual exploitation and the law enforcement responses in the UK. This study is primarily based on a survey of police forces, placing this within the wider context of national and international law and policy. It estimates the number of women trafficked into conditions of sexual slavery, explores the ways in which they are trafficked and the responses of all relevant agencies, especially law enforcement agencies, in tackling and preventing such trafficking.

Available to view at the Home Office website.

See Project: Trafficking in Women - the UK context

Authors: Liz Kelly, Linda Regan

Domestic Violence Matters: An Evaluation of a Development Project

This report documents the multi-methodological evaluation of 'Domestic Violence Matters' (DVM), an adaptation of a Canadian project - the Family Consultancy Service (London, Ontario) - which involves locating a team of skilled civilian support workers within the police service to follow up police responses to domestic violence.

Available to view at the Home Office website.

See Project: Evaluation of Domestic Violence Matters (A Development Project)

Authors: Liz Kelly, Julie Bindel, Sheila Burton, Dianne Butterworth, Kate Cook, Linda Regan

Making connections - building bridges: research into action - ten years of the Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit

Authors: Sheila Burton, Liz Kelly, Linda Regan

Young People's Attitudes Towards Violence, Sex and Relationships: A Survey and Focus Group Study

This study investigated young people's attitudes towards violence, sex and relationships drawing upon a large-scale survey and in-depth focus groups. The study findings highlight the extent to which young people tolerate violence against women and documents widespread acceptance of forced sex and physical violence among young women, and to a greater extent, among young men.

See Project: Young People's Attitudes Towards Violence, Sex and Relationships: A Survey and Focus Group Study

Authors: Sheila Burton, Liz Kelly, Jenny Kitzinger, Linda Regan

Legacies of Abuse - "It's More Complicated Than That": A Qualitative Study of the Meaning and Impacts of Sexual Abuse in Childhood

The primary objective of this study was to explore the ways in which the gender and age of victim and abuser affected the meanings and impacts of sexual abuse in childhood in a non-clinical sample of women and men. The study includes a review of the literature on the influence of the gender and age of both the victim and the abuser on the experience of sexual abuse in childhood; a secondary analysis of ESRC prevalence study data in order to highlight the differences with regard to age and gender and in-depth interviews with adults whose experiences differ in relation to gender and age.

See Project: A Qualitative Study of the Meaning and Impacts of Sexual Abuse in Childhood

Authors: Sheila Burton, Liz Kelly, Linda Regan

Supporting Women and Challenging Men: Lessons from the Domestic Violence Intervention Project

This is the report of a CWASU evaluation of the Domestic Violence Intervention Project (DVIP) based in West London. Both arms of DVIP, the Violence Prevention Programme (VPP) which works with violent men and the Women's Support Service (WSS) were evaluated. This is a process (rather than strictly an outcome) evaluation which explores a wide range of policy and practice issues. The report provides information on the structure, content and process of work within DVIP, exploring how both VPP and WSS work; what they do; and the tensions and dilemmas that arise in the course of this kind of work. The report also contains an examination of what the project has learnt and how it has changed over the course of the two-year study; where work with violent men is located in relation to current policy and multi-agency responses, and what pro-active approaches to work with women have to offer.

A summary is available to view at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation website.

See Project: Evaluation of the Domestic Violence Intervention Project

Authors: Sheila Burton, Liz Kelly, Linda Regan

Making Connections - Building Bridges: Research into Action - Ten Years of the Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit

This paper is an overview of the work and perspective of CWASU between 1987 and 1997. It has involved much summarising and selection, and inevitably means some areas have been neglected, others emphasised. Rather than offer a bland outline of the work that has been undertaken, Liz Kelly, Linda Regan and Sheila Burton have chosen to use this opportunity to reflect on and analyse the contribution of CWASU to feminist approaches violence against women and children.

 

Presented at: The Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit Tenth Anniversary Event, University of North London, 1997.

 

Also published in The British Journal of Social Work, 1998 (28); 601-613.

 

Authors: Sheila Burton, Liz Kelly, Linda Regan

Sexualising the Social: Power and the Organisation of Sexuality

Lisa Adkins and Vicki Merchant (eds.), Macmillan

Authors: Sheila Burton, Liz Kelly, Linda Regan

No Right Way

Tracie Orr, Scarlet Press

Authors: Sheila Burton, Liz Kelly, Linda Regan

Splintered Lives: Sexual Exploitation of Children in the Context of Children's Rights and Child Protection

This document arose out of the work of the European Forum for Child Welfare, drawing on papers and discussions from two European conferences on Child Pornography and Sexual Exploitation held in London and Brussels in 1995. The report summarises what is currently known about the sexual exploitation of children; documents responses to sexual exploitation in terms of legislation, policy and practice; explores the interconnectedness of pornography, prostitution and trafficking; examines the routes in and out of, and the impacts of, sexual exploitation; highlights gaps in knowledge and in the policy framework; places all of the above in a children's rights and child protection context, and focuses on Britain, whilst also taking account of both the European and global contexts.

See Project: What is known about child sexual exploitation in the UK

Authors: Sheila Burton, Liz Kelly, Linda Regan, Rachel Wingfield

Syndromes and disorders: the dangers of medicalising the impacts of sexual violence in legal cases

 

Authors: Sheila Burton, Liz Kelly, Linda Regan

Researching Women's Lives from a Feminist Perspective

Mary Maynard and June Purvis (eds.), Taylor and Francis.

Authors: Sheila Burton, Liz Kelly, Linda Regan

Surviving Childhood Adversity: Issues for Policy and Practice

Harry Ferguson, Robbie Gilligan and Ruth Torode (eds.), Dublin, Social Studies Press

Authors: Sheila Burton, Liz Kelly, Linda Regan

Abuse of Women and Children: A Feminist Response

The papers in this monograph explore three related areas: Organised child sexual abuse, domestic violence and joint working between agencies dealing with child abuse. They represent the thinking of the London Metropolitan University's Child and Women Abuse Studies Unit (formerly the Child Abuse Studies Unit). The Unit's work approaches the complex and multivalent issue of abuse from a feminist perspective, which believes that gender is a critical factor in explaining the prevalence of abusive relationships.

Available from: the Child and Women Abuse Studies Unit £5.00 plus £1.00 p&p

Authors: Sheila Burton, Liz Kelly, Linda Regan

Beyond Containment: The Penal Response to Sex Offending

Prison Reform Trust

Authors: Sheila Burton, Liz Kelly, Linda Regan

Working Out: New Directions for Women's Studies

Hilary Hinds, Ann Phoenix and Jackie Stacey (eds.), Falmer Press

Authors: Sheila Burton, Liz Kelly, Linda Regan

'And What Happened To Him?': Policy on Sex Offenders from the Survivor's Perspective

Published within 'Beyond Containment: The Penal Response To Sex Offending', London, Prison Reform Trust.

Authors: Sheila Burton, Liz Kelly, Linda Regan

An Exploratory Study of the Prevalence of Sexual Abuse in a Sample of 16-21 Year Olds

This report focuses primarily on the overall prevalence of sexual abuse among a representative sample of young people, the forms of abuse they have experienced, the ages at which they occurred and the relationship between victim and abuser. A detailed questionnaire was completed by 1,244 students aged 16-21 attending seven Further Education Colleges in England, Scotland and Wales.

Short summary of findings;

One in two girls and one in four boys will experience some form of sexual abuse before their eighteenth birthday. In this survey of 1,244 young people aged between 16 and 21, 59% of young women and 27% of young men reported at least one sexually intrusive experience before they were 18. Sexual abuse, here, is defined broadly including 'flashing', being touched, being pressured to have sex and attempted and actual assaults/rapes. Abuse was committed by both adults and peers. Almost a third of these incidents occurred before the age of 12.

See Project: Exploratory Study of the Prevalence of Child Sexual Abuse

Authors: Sheila Burton, Liz Kelly, Linda Regan

Flawed protection

Authors: Liz Kelly, Linda Regan

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