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Upcoming event: Gaps in measuring and responding to childhood adversity

 

 

Domestic abuse and other adversities experienced by children and young people: What’s missing in measurement and service response?

Free webinar, Tuesday 15 September 2026, 12:00 – 14:00

To register: Gaps in measuring and responding to childhood adversity

There is widespread recognition that adversities experienced by children and young people are damaging to their health and wellbeing, with negative impact through their life course.  Those adversities, including domestic abuse and child maltreatment, are often invisible to NHS service providers, a necessary condition for responding to the needs of those children and young people. 

VISION (a UK Prevention Research Partnership-funded consortium) and CPRU (the NIHR Child and Families Policy Research Unit) have conducted multi-disciplinary research improving the measurement of child adversities and their impact on mental health, enhancing the use of general practice data to identify families experiencing adversity, identify the gaps and effective practice in responding to the needs of children and young people experiencing domestic abuse or maltreatment, particularly their mental health.  

The webinar will be co-chaired by Professors Gene Feder (VISION, University of Bristol) & Ruth Gilbert (CPRU, University College London) with presentations from the following researchers with ample time for discussion of their findings in relation to practice and policy: 

  • Dr Ladan Hashemi (VISION, City St George’s UoL) – Adverse childhood experiences and childhood outcomes: cumulative exposure, and mitigating factors: from epidemiology to informing services
  • Dr Shabeer Syed (CPRU, University College London) – From firstborn to family: identifying ACEs in general practice data and the case for whole-family support
  • Dr Claire Powell (CPRU, University College London) – Invisibility of domestic abuse in child and adolescent mental health services: how can it be made visible and addressed?
  • Dr Ruth Weir (VISION, City St George’s UoL) – Teenage relationship abuse: Recognition and response in collaboration with young people

Co-organisers:

             

 

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Upcoming event – Improving police responses to domestic abuse with AI

 

 

Exploring opportunities to improve police responses to domestic abuse with Artificial Intelligence: Aligning with the NPCC’s Digital Strategy

 

Online, Wednesday 2 September 2026, 4 – 5 pm

To register: Exploring opportunities webinar

Presenters: Dr Les Humphreys, University of Lancashire and Dr Darren Cook, City St George’s University of London

Efforts to develop intelligence led policing are ongoing and will continue apace in line with the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s Digital Strategy for 2025-2030. To implement this strategy, Police chiefs are calling for huge investment from the government to increase science and technology capabilities. This strategy has the potential to make significant improvements to police responses to domestic abuse, in part by better utilising the masses of unstructured (i.e., textual) data routinely collected by the police but rarely analysed. Effective implementation of the digital strategy requires understanding police analysts’ current abilities to meet the proposed demands, and an appreciation of what developments are needed and feasible.

To address these questions, we conducted a survey of police analysts, asking questions reflecting their current knowledge of modern AI tools, as well as their capacity and attitude towards potential upskilling. We received responses from 159 analysts (81% of whom were from UK police forces). We present results from the survey. Highlighting the potential benefits of improved data analytic capabilities within policing, we present examples of how AI and related technologies can be used to address core data analysis problems related to domestic abuse. We conclude by discussing the implications that our research has for ensuring police analysts are well positioned to effectively use the large amounts of text data they hold for better responses to domestic abuse.

For any queries, contact connectcentre@lancashire.ac.uk

Co-organisers:

                        

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Upcoming event – Black and minoritised ‘by and for’ VAWG sector and the funding inequality

 

 

Right to resist: The power and resilience of the Black and minoritised ‘by and for’ VAWG sector in a state of funding inequality

 

Monday 7 September 2026, 10:30 am  – 2:00 pm

Northampton Suite, University Building, City St George’s University of London  EC1V 0HB

To register: Right to resist

This event is in person only and catering will be provided

Imkaan, the UK’s only national umbrella organisation for Black and minoritised ‘by and for’ VAWG (violence against women and girls) organisations and the UK Prevention Research Partnership VISION consortium warmly invite you to a showcase of ground-breaking research that brings into sharp focus the stark inequalities faced by Black and minoritised women and girls subjected to violence and abuse — and the vital role of specialist ‘by and for’ Black and minoritised VAWG organisations in supporting them. 

Chaired by Professor Ravi Thiara from the VISION consortium and the University of Warwick and featuring the London Victims’ Commissioner, Andrea Simon, the event will bring together voices from academia, VAWG sector policy research and specialist frontline practice. Together, we will launch a new report from Imkaan’s research team —exploring the current state of the specialist ‘by and for’ sector, the life-saving support it provides, and the funding inequalities, sustainability challenges and barriers it continues to face, alongside examples of promising practice. 

We are pleased to welcome Shaminder Ubhi, Executive Director of Ashiana Network, a pioneering ‘by and for’ organisation with over three decades of experience providing intersectional, holistic and trauma-informed VAWG support to Black and minoritised women and girls. We will also be joined by Dr Hannah Manzur (VISION consortium and City St George’s), who will share innovative research synthesising key findings on the harms, challenges and barriers faced by Black and minoritised women who have experienced VAWG, as well as the role of specialist ‘by and for’  organisations.  

The programme will be added to this page very soon. 

For more information about the event please contact Rani Selvarajah, Research & Policy Manager, Imkaan at rani@imkaan.org.uk.  

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Upcoming webinar – The Domestic Homicide Review Dataset for England and Wales: A new resource

 

A new data resource for policy, practice and research

 

THIS EVENT IS IN THE PAST. Wednesday 29 July 2026, 11:00  – 12:00, online

Register here: Ticket Tailor for DHRD webinar

Teams link will be emailed on 28 July to those registered

We are pleased to invite you to the launch of The Domestic Homicide Review Dataset (DHRD) for England and Wales: a new resource bringing together information from 647 Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) of domestic abuse-related deaths in England and Wales.

Developed using DHRs published in the UK Home Office’s national repository, the database will enable those that engage with DHRs to do so at scale – supporting insights for policy, practice, and research.

In this webinar, we will introduce the dataset and show how to access and use this new resource. The session will:

  • Provide an overview of how the dataset was constructed
  • Show how to access and use this freely available resource
  • Highlight potential for analysis
  • Explore how the resource can complement existing qualitative work on DHRs

This event will be of particular interest to those working in voluntary and community sector organisations, local authorities, commissioning, policy, and research.

The dataset will be presented by Dr Lizzie Cook and Dr Darren Cook (City St George’s, University of London / VISION) with contributions from Sumanta Roy and Rani Selvarajah (Imkaan). The session will be Chaired by Dr James Rowlands (Durham University).

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Intimate partner relationship abuse between men: An interdisciplinary seminar

 

Wednesday 17 June 2026, 13:00  – 16:45, in person only

This event is in the past.

This free, interdisciplinary seminar brings together leading voices from research, lived experience, performance, and specialist practice to examine intimate partner violence in relationships between men and consider implications for policy, research, professional practice, and wider system response.

Register here: Ticket Tailor

Despite increasing recognition that abuse within intimate male relationships is a significant public health, social justice, and service delivery issue, it remains under recognised across many systems and disciplines. Survivors frequently encounter barriers to recognition, disclosure, and support, while policy, professional training, and public discourse have historically paid limited attention to these experiences. 

This event will explore the dynamics, impacts, and structural challenges surrounding abuse in this context, and consider how research, policy, practice, and public understanding can evolve to better respond. 

The programme combines research presentations, creative performance, lived experience testimony, and expert commentary to offer a multi-dimensional exploration of the issue. The seminar will include catering and: 

  • A brief research presentation on prevalence, dynamics, barriers to recognition, and current evidence gaps from Dr Steven Maxwell 
  • A monologue from He Kept Me Safe, a research based verbatim play developed from survivor narratives exploring abuse within intimate male relationships by Dr Edgar Rodriguez-Doran 
  • A keynote contribution from broadcaster, comedian and survivor advocate James Barr, reflecting on his lived experience through comedy and the role of storytelling 
  • A talk from Tanaka Mhishi, writer and researcher in masculinity, trauma and sexual violence, exploring masculinity, trauma, violence, and engaging men in conversations about healing 
  • Brief facilitated interdisciplinary discussion on implications for research, policy, education, commissioning, service design, and practice 

This event aims to stimulate critical interdisciplinary dialogue and contribute to wider thinking on inclusive responses to domestic abuse and sexual violence. 

 

Intended Audience / Invitees 

The seminar is intended for a broad interdisciplinary audience including: 

  • Researchers and academics across social science, health, psychology, gender studies, criminology, law, public health, and related disciplines 
  • Policy makers and strategic leaders working in domestic abuse, sexual violence, health, justice, equalities, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and public policy 
  • Health and social care professionals 
  • Mental health practitioners and psychological therapists 
  • Domestic abuse and sexual violence services 
  • Policing, criminal justice, and legal professional 
  • LGBTQ+ and community sector organisations 
  • Sexual health and public health professionals 
  • Education and professional training providers 
  • Students and trainees with relevant academic or professional interests 
  • Wider stakeholders with interest in trauma, masculinity, violence prevention, and inclusive service/system design

 

Programme 

1.00 pm: Registration and Lunch 

1.30 pm: Welcome and Opening Remarks 

1.40 pm: Research Presentation: Understanding Intimate Partner Violence in Male Relationships: Prevalence, Dynamics and System Challenges 

2.00 pm: Monologue: He Kept Me Safe 

2.40 pm: Facilitated Discussion and Audience Reflection 

3.00 pm: Break 

3.15 pm: James Barr: Lived Experience, Comedy, and Public Discourse 

3.45 pm: Audience Q&A 

4.00 pm: Tanaka Mhishi: Masculinity, Trauma and Engaging Men in Conversations About Violence and Healing 

4.30 pm: Panel Discussion / Closing Audience Q&A 

4.45 pm: Close 

Join us at this free seminar, 17 June, Northampton Suite, City St George’s UoL, Clerkenwell, London, 1300 – 1645. To book your place please register here: Ticket Tailor 

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Upcoming webinar – Left behind: People without support after experiencing violence

 

Thursday 4 June 2026, 13:00  – 14:30, online

This event is in the past.

Join VISION for a free webinar exploring groups who can be overlooked by health services, policing, and specialist support systems after experiencing violence.

Register here: TicketTailor – 4 June VISION webinar 

Many people affected by violence do not receive the help they need, for a variety of reasons. At VISION, we’ve analysed data sources such as the Crime Survey for England and Wales to better understand these gaps. In some cases, individuals do not seek medical care from hospitals or GPs for violence-related injuries, while others choose not to report incidents to the police. There are also those indirectly affected—such as people whose loved ones have experienced serious assault—who frequently go unsupported. In addition, a significant but less visible group includes victims of intimate partner violence and serious sexual assault in England and Wales who do not disclose their experiences, particularly to specialist services.

This research offers fresh insights into the risk factors, lived experiences, inequalities, and consequences of violence among those who neither seek nor receive support—the left behind.

After the short presentations, there will be a ’roundtable’ discussion with all present to look deeper into each presentation and talk about the barriers and opportunities. We want to better identify these missing populations and understand their behaviours for not seeking help and conversely for those that are looking for support but the services aren’t necessarily there.

We welcome anyone working in government, police, healthcare, academia, specialist services, education and the community and voluntary sector interested in and / or working in violence prevention and support for those affected.

Programme

Chair: Kimberly Cullen, VISION Knowledge Exchange Manager, City St George’s University of London

Disclosure of Intimate Partner Abuse and Sexual Violence to Formal Agencies and Specialist Services: Comparing Inequality Patterns, Victim Profiles, and Harms by Disclosure, Dr Hannah Manzur, VISION Research Fellow, City St George’s University of London and Dr Annie Bunce

  • Our study examines the hidden population of victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) and serious sexual assault (SSA) in England and Wales who report non-disclosure of their victimisation, particularly to specialised services. Whilst evidence-building largely relies on victim-survivors’ disclosure through help-seeking pathways and interventions, the experiences and inequality patterns for victim-survivors outside of these pathways are significantly missing from evidence and support provision. In particular, specialised services support some of the most marginalised and invisible victims of violence, yet barriers to disclosure and resource limitations pose significant challenges for both data collection and support access for these groups. The nationally representative Crime Survey for England and Wales offers a unique opportunity to analyse data on IPV and SSA victim-survivors who have not contacted specialised services or disclosed to any other formal agency (inc. The police and health services). Using pooled data (2004-2019) on past-year IPV and lifetime SSA, we compare inequality patterns (by gender, ethnicity, and migrant-status) and victim profiles (including risk-factors, victimisation characteristics, and harms) of victim-survivors based on disclosure (CSEW only, formal agency, or specialised services). Here, we reveal new insights into the risk-factors, experiences, inequalities, and impacts of violence against otherwise hidden violence victims, particularly those excluded from specialised services support.

Healthcare inequalities following violence: analysis of the Crime Survey for England and Wales 2010-2024, Dr Anastasia Fadeeva, VISION Research Fellow, City St George’s University of London

  • Although healthcare is key to supporting victims of physical violence, some do not receive it despite injuries. The present research used the Crime Survey for England and Wales (combined waves 2010-2024) to identify which victims of physical violence were less likely to receive healthcare. Despite the presence of injuries, in almost a half of the incidents, victims receive no healthcare. We examined individual and violence-related factors that were associated with not receiving healthcare following violence victimisation. 

Reporting of violence victimisation to the police in England and Wales, Dr Polina Obolenskaya, VISION Research Fellow, City St George’s University of London and Dr Annie Bunce, VISION Research Fellow, City St George’s University of London

  • Who reports violence to the police, and under what circumstances, remains a critical but under‑examined question in England and Wales. Although national victimisation surveys consistently show that more than half of violent incidents never come to the attention of police, existing research is fragmented, often focused on single forms of violence (e.g., intimate partner or sexual violence), based on small studies or non-UK contexts. By mapping multiple routes through which violence does or does not come to the attention of the criminal justice system, this research advances an understanding of the “justice gap” and offers evidence with implications for policy, prevention, and victim‑survivor support. 

Indirect victims of violence: Mental health and the close relatives of serious assault victims in England, Professor Sally McManus, VISION co-Deputy Director, City St George’s University of London and Dr Elizabeth Cook, VISION co-Investigator, City St George’s University of London

  • Violence does not just harm direct victims; its effects ripple out through families. Drawing on a representative survey of adults in England, this study found that one in twenty adults were closely related to a victim of serious assault, and that these relatives carry a disproportionate burden of poor mental health. Even after accounting for their own histories of violence, adversity, and disadvantage, close family members face significantly higher levels of depression, anxiety, and feeling unsafe: evidence that policy must recognise, and victim services be resourced to respond to, the needs of families too. 

Join us at this free webinar on 4 June, 13:00 – 14:30. To book your place please register here: TicketTailor – 4 June VISION webinar 

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Upcoming webinar – Responding to violence in later life: Evidence, priorities, and opportunities

 

Thursday 14 May 2026, 13:00  – 14:30, online

This event is in the past.

The VISION research consortium invites you to a free webinar looking at violence and abuse experienced by those in their later years. What is the current evidence of exposure and health outcomes? What should the violence prevention research and policy priorities be for an aging population? And what are the opportunities to improve our knowledge about this issue?

The event will be chaired by Danny Tatlow, the Research and Policy Officer at Hourglass, the UK’s only charity focused on the abuse and neglect of older people. 

The presenters include:

Patterns of violence and discrimination exposure across the life course and their associations with health in later life, Dr Anastasia Fadeeva, VISION Research Fellow, City St George’s, University of London

  • Dr Fadeeva will share results from her study which used data from wave 11 of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, which included information about Life History events, such as multiple types of violence and discrimination over the life course. Distinct patterns of violence and discrimination experiences were identified using the Latent Class analysis, followed by analysis of the associations between the profiles of violence experiences and health outcomes.

Listening to Older Survivors: Informing Support and Interventions for Domestic Abuse in Later Life, Dr Vasiliki Orgeta, Associate Professor, University College London

  • Dr Orgeta will present quantitative and qualitative research on psychological trauma and abuse in older women. She will explore their experiences and the perspectives of professionals supporting them, highlighting barriers such as stigma, isolation, and lack of recognition. The findings are informing a psychological advocacy intervention for older women, funded by the NIHR and led by UCL, designed to provide tailored, long-term support that promotes safety, autonomy, and wellbeing.

Later life adversities and their relationship with health outcomes: evidence from Wales, Dr Kat  Ford, Research Fellow, Bangor University and Professor Karen Hughes, Public Health Wales

Supporting older survivors of Sexual Violence- barriers and good practice, Amanda Warburton, Independent Researcher

  • Amanda will present findings from her MA in Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse dissertation study which gathered the views of professionals who have supported older survivors of acute sexual Violence. The presentation will cover barriers to seeking support and highlight good practice to enable older survivors on their journey to recovery. 

This webinar will be of interest to stakeholders involved in violence prevention research, policy and practice who work with older people and / or are interested in lifecourse violence and abuse prevention.

Join us at this free webinar on 14 May, 13:00 – 14:30. To book your place and receive the Teams link, please email VISION_Management_Team@citystgeorges.ac.uk

Photograph provided by Age Without Limits image library

Webinar: Exploring Domestic Homicide Review commissioning

 

Exploring Domestic Homicide Review commissioning

This event is in the past.

Tuesday 24 March 2026, 13:00  – 14:30, online

Durham University’s Centre for Research into Violence and Abuse invites you to an online webinar looking at Domestic Homicide Review (DHR) commissioning.

The project team, Dr Elizabeth Cook (VISION Co-Investigator, City St George’s UoL), Dr James Rowlands (Durham University), and Dr Althea Cribb (Durham University) will share findings from a British Academy / Leverhulme Small Grant funded research project into review notification and commissioning decision-making and identify implications for practice and policy. 

The event will include:

This webinar will be of interest to stakeholders involved in reviews, including practitioners, commissioners, senior managers, policy makers, and researchers. Those affected by domestic homicides and abuse-related deaths, including family, are also welcome to join, as are family advocates. 

Join us at this free online webinar on the 24th March between 1300 and 1430 to hear about the findings findings from this project. 

To book your place, click here.

Webinar: Risk of sexual violence along migration routes and the implications for current asylum policy in the UK and Europe

 

Sexual violence along migration routes: A systematic review and synthesis

Thursday 29 January 2026, 2  – 3 pm, online

Email VISION_Management_Team@citystgeorges.ac.uk to register for the Teams link

This event is in the past.

VISION Co-Investigator, Dr Alexandria (Andri) Innes and PhD student Merili Pullerits will outline how sexual violence is a pervasive and structurally embedded feature of undocumented migration journeys. It is often associated with economic status, and economic need or destitution and often expected along the routes. Some migrants who plan to travel without documents take action to prevent unwanted pregnancy before travelling, or seek protection by travelling in mixed sex groups or in couples of convenience. 

This review found that some routes situate sexual violence in an intense climate of violence and brutality, and at times sexual violence victimisation is considered to be the only available way to prevent deportation or death. Many irregular migration journeys take place in hostile landscapes where guides such as smugglers and traffickers are the only means of transport, and refusing sexual contact would result in abandonment and death. 

The worst forms of sexual violence are brutal and indiscriminate, involve forced witnessing, and forced sex act perpetration on other migrants. It is used against men, women, trans and non-binary migrants, but there are important gendered differences in the portray of sexual violence and the expectation of sexual violence before and during a migration journey. 

Finally, Andri and Merili will highlight how sexual violence along migration routes are executed by various types of perpetrators, including organised and systematic perpetration by state agents such as border guards and police, and by smuggling and trafficking gangs. It is also carried out by opportunists who are often migrants travelling the irregular route, or are people who reside along the route and take advantage of the vulnerable populations transiting through.

There is very little, if any, form of accountability for perpetrators and very little protection from violence available to migrants. There is also no protection offered by receiving countries to prevent removal directly into contact with perpetrators along migration routes in locations that are often considered ‘safe third countries.’ 

To register and receive the Teams link, please contact VISION_Management_Team@citystgeorges.ac.uk

 

 

Conference: The intersection of public health & violence prevention

 

Wednesday 4 February 2026, 10 am – 4:30 pm, Leonardo Hotel, Cardiff, CF10 3UD

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

The UKPRP VISION research consortium and the Violence Prevention team at Public Health Wales are pleased to collaborate on a free, one-day conference, The intersection of public health and violence prevention.

This event will bring together a range of stakeholders working in violence prevention including public health, policing, healthcare, academia, government and the community and voluntary sector. It will showcase professionals from across Wales and beyond who are working at this intersection, with a focus on whole system approaches to violence prevention and the role of public health within this, as well as examining data on violence and its links with health inequalities. Join us for presentations, panel discussions and plenty of opportunities for questions and networking. 

For any questions, please contact VISION_Management_Team@citystgeorges.ac.uk

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

We look forward to seeing you in Cardiff soon! Violence Prevention Team and VISION Consortium

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COFRESTRU AR AGOR NAWR: Y Croestoriad rhwng Iechyd y Cyhoedd ac Atal Trais

Rydym wrth ein bodd yn eich gwahodd i gynhadledd Croestoriad rhwng Iechyd y Cyhoedd ac Atal Trais, a gynhelir ar y cyd gan Gonsortiwm Trais, Iechyd a Chymdeithas (VISION) Partneriaeth Ymchwil Atal y DU a’r Tîm Atal Trais yn Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru.

Pryd: Dydd Mercher 4 Chwefror 2026 10:00am – 4:30pm

Ble: Gwesty Leonardo, Caerdydd, CF10 3UD

COFRESTRWCH YMA

Bydd y gynhadledd undydd, rhad ac am ddim hon yn dwyn ynghyd amrywiaeth o randdeiliaid sy’n gweithio ym maes atal trais gan gynnwys iechyd y cyhoedd, plismona, gofal iechyd, y byd academaidd, y llywodraeth a’r sector cymunedol a gwirfoddol. Bydd yn arddangos gweithwyr proffesiynol o bob cwr o Gymru a thu hwnt sy’n gweithio yn y groesffordd hon, gyda ffocws ar ddulliau system gyfan o atal trais a rôl iechyd y cyhoedd yn hyn, yn ogystal ag archwilio data ar drais a’r cysylltiad rhyngddo ag anghydraddoldebau iechyd.

Ymunwch â ni am gyflwyniadau, trafodaethau panel a digon o gyfleoedd ar gyfer gofyn cwestiynau a rhwydweithio.

Edrychwn ymlaen at eich croesawu ar 4 Chwefror. Anfonwch e-bost at phw.violencepreventionteam@wales.nhs.uk os oes gennych gwestiynau.

COFRESTRWCH YMA

Edrychwn ymlaen at eich gweld yng Nghaerdydd yn fuan! Tîm Atal Trais a Chonsortiwm VISION

Conference programme in English and Welsh to download

Intersection of public health and violence prevention_Programme_E and W

Conference breakout session abstracts in English and Welsh to download

Intersection of public health and violence prevention_Abstracts_E and W

Conference bios of the keynote, chairs and presenters in English and Welsh to download

Intersection of public health and violence prevention_Bios_E and W