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Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://anrows.intersearch.com.au/anrowsjspui/handle/1/19059
Record ID: 40c1efc5-78d6-43c9-b4d9-599eae2cd3b4
Web resource: http://dro.dur.ac.uk/2556/1/2556.pdf
Type: Report
Title: Tackling domestic violence : effective interventions and approachesHome Office research study
Authors: Westmarland, Nicole
Hester, Marianne
Keywords: Screening;Interagency work;Criminal justice responses;Training;Peer education;Advocacy;Prevention
Year: 2005
Publisher: Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate
Citation: Home Office Research Study 290
Notes:  This reports on the UK Home Office projects through the Crime Reduction Programme (CRP) aimed at identifying ‘what worked’ to support victims and tackle domestic violence. It found that, with primary prevention to raise awareness among young people: it was valued when it was student-centred, interactive with visual input such as drama; and the need for training for teachers and multi-agency support; and cross curricular approaches reinforced the programme impacts.

With regard to supporting women to disclose: routine enquiry was effective in health care settings, and may be applied to a wider range of practitioners; training was important and so were multi-agency relationships and referral systems.

Supporting women to report to police was effective: when they were supported to engage with the criminal justice system through legal advocacy; when project workers were based in the police community safety unit or where the police were based in the project (one-stop-shop); when close links between the projects and the police led to an increase in arrest rates and referrals; when legal support specifically focusing on Black and other minority ethnic women, including workers with minority language skills, increased their engagement with the criminal justice system; with the use of photographic evidence which appeared to improve arrest rates, increase the number of witness statements and reduce the number of victims withdrawing their statements. However, the ‘patchiness’ of police responses still needs to be addressed, and more research is needed as the photographic evidence were based on small numbers and did not use a ‘matched cases’ design.

Supporting women through the courts worked well: when close links with good family law solicitors, legal workers and police officers in the project enhanced the use of civil remedies; when women found it useful to be accompanied at court and when services were a ‘one-stop-shop’ model. It was found that: women felt let down when sentences appeared lenient such as in the case of fines; training for magistrates led to a higher proportion of custodial sentences; and systems need to monitor cases through the criminal and civil justice systems. With reducing repeat victimisation: target hardening and advocacy approaches; the most effective approach was the tailoring of advocacy and support to the needs of the victim. Both a panic alarm and home security had the most impact; along with regular risk assessments.
URI: https://anrows.intersearch.com.au/anrowsjspui/handle/1/19059
ISBN: 9781844735563
Physical description: xvi, 134 p., 25 cm.
Appears in Collections:Reports

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