Supporting Male Victims of Domestic Abuse: An IDVA s Perspective

Transcription

1 Supporting Male Victims of Domestic Abuse: An IDVA s Perspective Luke Martin Male IDVA DVIP/Solace Women s Aid

2 What is an IDVA? An IDVA is a named professional case worker for domestic abuse victims whose primary purpose is to address the safety of high risk victims and their children. Serving as a victim's main point of contact, IDVAs normally work with their clients from the point of crisis to assess the level of risk, discuss the range of suitable options and develop coordinated safety plans.

3 IDVAs are pro-active in implementing safety plans, which include practical steps to protect victims and their children, as well as longer-term solutions. These plans will include actions from the Multi- Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC see below) as well as sanctions and remedies available through the criminal and civil courts, housing options and services available through other organisations. IDVAs offer independent support and work over the short- to medium-term to put victims on the path to long-term safety.

4 Does the role differ to IDVA s working with women? Not full time posts Screening and assessing of men presenting as victims Services available Generally lower risk Higher referral of GBT men

5 What does my client make up look like? GBT Victim Southwark Islington Barnet

6 GBT Men in Perspective Barnet Islington GBT Victim Heterosexual Victim Southwark

7 Who is the Perpetrator? Barnet Islington DV From a Family Member DV From an Intimate Partner Southwark 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

8 What do men want when they access the service? Legal Advice Housing Police LGBT Services Counselling Drug and Alcohol Services Refuge

9 Violent resistance Violent resistance: The use of violence in resistance to domestic violence and abuse, which may be after many years or incidents of abuse, out of a feeling that there is no other option or in reaction to feelings that there is nothing that will ever stop the person using abuse.

10 Violent resistance and law Violent resistance is partly covered by the UK law on reasonable force but only where the attack from another was imminent and only with proportionate force. Victims fighting back after an incident or many years after living with abuse may not be classed as using reasonable force unless a court decided it was reasonable, given the circumstances, to use force out of fear of future attack, possibly taking into account the victim s mental health.

11 Self defence ( reasonable force ) UK law allows individuals to use what is called reasonable force in prevention of any crime or making an arrest to: Defend themselves from a criminal attack: Prevent an attack on another person in that particular circumstance; Defend property against criminal attack. The force used must be reasonable and proportionate to the threat.

12 Self defence continued Reasonable force is legal but must fit the criteria above Should not be promoted or suggested as a safety strategy It may be the only safe strategy for some women for temporary protection it usually escalates risk for them Victims should be provided with the opportunity to discuss the possible consequences of continuing to do this and the alternatives.

13 Unhappy Relationships Physical abuse: the vast majority of these clients reported no violence and no injuries; AND Emotional abuse: nearly half reported no emotional abuse the reports from the remaining half were things such as being shouted/sworn at, being belittled by partner but the lack of fear and risk factors mean that we cannot rely on these reports; AND Risk factors: for more than half we identified no risk factors the remaining had some risk factors, especially around children but in context with the above we didn t feel they were domestic violence victims; we do however recognise that the risk is there and it needs to be minimised.

14 Unhappy Relationships These clients see themselves as victims but mostly they lack the experiences of genuine victims, including combination of physical abuse, systematic emotional abuse, fear etc. Typically these clients are men in relationships that are breaking down and they report: arguing with their partners, being nasty to each other often in an immature, petty way; no pattern of domestic abuse in a systematic way; lack of fear; And they: tend to badmouth their partner, complain about the system everyone is against them and out to get them; they come across as unreasonable in terms of their help-seeking: no one is good enough, all agencies are useless; The focus of helping them should be on encouraging them to accept responsibility for their behaviours and access whatever help is available.

15 They re just as bad as each other If you think you are seeing violence from both parties, you need to assess carefully who is fearful and controlled and who is not Very rarely/never equal and opposite Violent resistance, self defence not same as intimate partner violence out of sense of entitlement Important to get it right...

16 Why does it matter? For risk and safety of both adults and any children, vital to get it right Victims will not get appropriate support if identified as mutual perpetrators Perpetrators at risk from victims acting in self defence if not held to account Child protection strategies unlikely to work Safety planning will be missing essential elements

17 Correct identification In coercive control over partner/ex Under coercive control from partner/ex Uses or has used violence, threats and control against partner/ex Experiences violence, threats and control from partner/ex perpetrator Perpetrator whose vic*m has used some form of violent resistance Vic*m who has used some form of violent resistance vic*m

18 Case Studies

19 Questions

20 Contact Details