Early Intervention Seminar. Domestic Violence

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1 Early Intervention Seminar Domestic Violence

2 Definition of Domestic Violence Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are or have been intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality. This can encompass but is not limited to the following types of abuse: psychological physical sexual financial emotional Controlling behaviour is: a range of acts designed to make a person subordinate and/or dependent by isolating them from sources of support, exploiting their resources and capacities for personal gain, depriving them of the means needed for independence, resistance and escape and regulating their everyday behaviour. Coercive behaviour is: an act or a pattern of acts of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation or other abuse that is used to harm, punish, or frighten their victim. * This definition, which is not a legal definition, includes so called 'honour based violence, female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage, and is clear that victims are not confined to one gender or ethnic group.

3 Definition of Domestic Violence There are different types of domestic abuse, including emotional, psychological, physical, sexual, and financial abuse. Many abusers behave in ways that include more than one type of domestic violence, and the boundaries between some of these behaviours are often quite blurred.

4 National Statistics Key Statistics at least 1 in 4 women in the UK will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime (British Crime Survey (BCS) 2010/11) domestic violence accounts for 18% of all violent incidents (crime in England and Wales 2010/11), 7 per cent of women and 5 per cent of men reported having experienced any domestic violence in 2010/11 in the BCS, 73 per cent of incidents of domestic violence were experienced by repeat victims, and of the victims interviewed, just under half were victimised more than once, and nearly a quarter were victimised three or more times every year around 400,000 women are sexually assaulted and 80,000 women raped (BCS 2010/11) domestically, the cost of providing public services (including health, legal and social services) to victims and the lost economic output of women affected runs to billions of pounds. An indicative figure for the minimum and overlapping cost of violence against women and girls is 36.7 billion annually in January to December 2010 the forced marriage unit received 1735 reports relating to possible forced marriage, and provided direct support in 469 assistance and immigration cases approximately 66,000 women with female genital mutilation are living in England and Wales (Forward)

5 Lessons from Serious case Reviews. Domestic violence featured prominently in these cases, and it was clear in several cases that the impact on children did not stop when the parents separated, often with ongoing threats or controlling behaviour affecting both the mother and her children. Some of these cases highlighted that acrimonious separations can present direct risks to children s safety and welfare, including risks of homicide. Even where the cases do not progress to such extremes however, there is evidence that children suffer emotional harm, potentially being used by parents to get at each other, or being caught in the middle of ongoing conflict.

6 Lessons from Serious case Reviews Domestic violence, substance misuse and parental mental health problems Previous biennial reviews have noted the prevalence of domestic violence, misuse of alcohol and/or drugs, and parental mental health problems in the lives of the families at the centre of serious case reviews. Fuller information, drawn from 139 overview reports, allows us to get a clearer understanding of the extent to which these factors feature and overlap. Table 3.11 displays the frequency with which each factor was mentioned in the reviews as being significant for the family. There was evidence that about two thirds of cases featured domestic violence, and mental ill health of one or both parents was identified in nearly 60% of the families. Parental substance misuse was mentioned for 42% of families, with a context of drug misuse in 29% of families, and alcohol misuse in 27% of the cases. In some families there was misuse of both substances.

7 Key Issues, Needs and Drivers This Government States that its Guiding principle is : To prevent violence against women and girls from happening in the first place, by challenging the attitudes and behaviours which foster it and intervening early to prevent it.

8 Key Issues, Needs and Drivers Everyone has a role to play in prevention. This is not just about government activity, but is also about schools,the media, employers, health workers, friends, family members and neighbours spotting the signs and taking a stand. It Is also recognised that violence against women is a consequence of continuing inequality between men and women, and is a barrier to achieving equality.

9 Key Issues, Needs and Drivers VAWG as a priority for the Mayor of London The Mayor of London s Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy is delivered through the MOPC and aims to transform how London responds to violence against women. It aims to: make London a global leader in ending VAWG; improve access to support; address the health, social and economic consequences of violence; protect women at risk; and get tougher with perpetrators.

10 Key Issues, Needs and Drivers Better support for victims and their families with statutory, voluntary and community sectors working together to share information and agree practical action. The availability of perpetrator programmes which can be accessed on a voluntary basis should be increased. Such programmes should liaise closely with children s social services to ensure that their work feeds into parenting assessments. Services offering therapeutic support to children and young people harmed by domestic violence should be identified as a priority area for development by central government, local authorities and children s trusts.

11 Key Issues, Needs and Drivers Multi agency structures need to be more widely developed with the aim of engaging a range of other agencies, including both universal services and specialist domestic violence services, in delivering early intervention services to families experiencing domestic violence. Children s social workers should be provided with training, supervision and support aimed at increasing skills and confidence in working with abusive men.

12 Key Issues, Needs and Drivers Stop start patterns of intervention should be avoided, and children s social services should work with other organisations and through commissioning to develop opportunities for long term monitoring and support of families with multiple and complex needs.

13 Existing Strategies to address the above Domestic Violence Forum Domestic Violence Handbook Domestic Violence Protocol Perpetrators Course Barnardo s Domestic Violence Risk Matrix Awareness Workshop Shadowing Probation

14 New Ways to work together