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Green space may be important in the prevention of crimes

    The United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals such as Goal 16, Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels, highlight the importance of using policy tools, for example urban planning, to prevent crimes. However, existing evidence of the association between green space and crime is mixed. Some studies indicate that the inconsistencies may be due to the variance in types of vegetation and the rates of crime reported across regions and countries.

    Therefore, UK Prevention Research Partnership funded consortia, GroundsWell and VISION, worked together to assess the conditional association between green space and crime. Groundswell researchers Dr Ruoyu Wang, Dr Claire L. Cleland, Dr Agustina Martire, Prof Dominic Bryan, and Prof Ruth F. Hunter collaborated with VISION researchers Dr Ruth Weir and Prof Sally McManus to consider the influence of vegetation type such as grassland and woodland, crime type such as violence and theft, and the rates of crime reported in Northern Ireland.

    They found that the association between green space and crime varies by vegetation type, crime type and rates of crime. The analyses showed that relatives were:

    • More grassland may be associated with lower crime rates, but only in areas with relatively low crime rates.
    • More woodland may also be associated with lower crime rates, but only for areas with relatively high crime rates.
    • The associations between green space and crime varied by type of crime.

    Check out their recent publication, Rethinking the association between green space and crime using spatial quantile regression modelling: Do vegetation type, crime type, and crime rates matter?, where they discuss their findings further as well as the implications for government approaches to consider green space as a potential crime reduction intervention. Policymakers and planners should consider green space as a potential crime reduction intervention, factoring in the heterogeneous effects of vegetation type, crime type and crime rate.

    To read the article or download free of charge:

    Rethinking the association between green space and crime using spatial quantile regression modelling: Do vegetation type, crime type, and crime rates matter? – ScienceDirect

    To cite:

    Wang, R., Cleland, C. L., Weir, R., McManus, S., Martire, A., Grekousis, G., Bryan, D., & Hunter, F. R. (2024). Rethinking the association between green space and crime using spatial quantile regression modelling: Do vegetation type, crime type, and crime rates matter?. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening.

    Illustration / photograph licensed under Adobe Photo Stock

    Mental health service responses to violence: VISION symposia at the European Psychiatric Association

      An aim of the VISION programme is to examine the nature and extent of contact that people with experience of violence have with various health and justice services.

      Findings on mental health services were presented in a series of symposia at the European Psychiatric Association’s Section on Epidemiology and Social Psychiatry this year.

      The first brought together six studies on experiences of violence and adversity and implications for mental health service use. These included King’s College London’s Anjuli Kaul presenting on Sexual Violence in Mental Health Service Users and Sian Oram on Mental Health Treatment Experiences of Minoritised Sexual Violence Survivors, with further contributions from Emma Soneson (Oxford), Maryam Ghasemi (Auckland), and Ladan Hashemi and Sally McManus (both City St George’s).

      A second symposium highlighted the value of the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey to violence research, with Sally McManus presenting on Threatening or Obscene Messages from a Partner and Mental Health, Self-harm and Suicidality.

      Finally, a third symposium featuring VISION researchers Angus Roberts, Rob Stewart and others and highlighted how natural language processing can be used with information collected in mental health settings. Sharon Sondh (South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust) presented on classifying experiences of violence in mental healthcare records.

      Learning across statutory reviews

        This VISION policy briefing summarises themes arising from the symposium, Learning across statutory review practices: origins, ambitions and future directions, held as part of the 2024 VISION Annual Conference on 11 June.

        The symposium was led by Dr Elizabeth Cook, City, UoL, and Dr James Rowlands, University of Westminster.

        The following panellists introduced several of the statutory reviews and shared their thoughts on lessons learnt and the future:

        • Dr Bethan Davies, Cardiff University: Wales Single Unified Safeguarding Review (SUSR)
        • Professor Emeritus Jonathan Dickens, University of East Anglia: Child safeguarding
        • Frank Mullane, Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse (AAFDA): Ambitions for learning and change across systems
        • Professor Emeritus Michael Preston-Shoot, University of Bedfordshire: Adult safeguarding
        • Sumanta Roy, Imkaan: Domestic Homicide Reviews

        After the series of presentations, as part of breakout roundtable discussions, conference attendees were invited to explore how different statutory reviews are conducted and practised, their ambitions, and challenges for the future.

        This briefing is for practitioners and managers who participate in or lead statutory reviews. The briefing will also be of interest to policy makers and senior leaders from local and national government who commission or oversee statutory review processes.

        The policy is available in the public domain, Learning across statutory review practices: Origins, ambitions, and future directions (figshare.com).

        For further information, please contact Lizzie at elizabeth.cook@city.ac.uk.

        Reflections on producing evidence syntheses on violence and abuse

          The VISION systematic review team, Dr Natalia Lewis, Dr Elizabeth Cook, Dr Jessica Corsi, Dr Sophie Carlisle and Dr Annie Bunce, presented at the London Evidence Syntheses and Research Use Seminars on 17 July 2024. The event was an initiative jointly hosted by the EPPI Centre (at UCL) and the Centre for Evaluation at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).

          The team presented under the collective theme Producing evidence syntheses on violence and abuse: reflections on the disciplinary variations and practicalities, with the aim of prompting conversation about how systematic review methodologies can be adapted across disciplines. Dr Natalia Lewis (Systematic Review Lead, University of Bristol) introduced the session, describing the emergence of systematic reviews at the top of the ‘hierarchy of evidence’ that is often referenced in evidence-based medicine. Accompanying systematic reviews are a range of reporting standards, tools and guidance stipulating recommended practices for conducting reviews. However, as the team discussed in their presentations, such standardised frameworks and approaches do not provide space for reflection on the process and implications of adapting these methodologies to evidence on violence and abuse.

          The seminar included the following presentations:

          • Dr Elizabeth Cook (City, University of London): Evidence syntheses in a global context: A systematic review of sex/gender disaggregated homicide.
          • Dr Jessica Corsi (City, University of London): Evidence synthesis on legal records: challenges and adaptations.
          • Dr Sophie Carlisle (Health Innovation East Midlands): Evidence synthesis in the context of UK domestic and sexual violence services: Involving professional stakeholders.

          The presentations are available to view and download below.

          Dr Natalia Lewis, Producing evidence syntheses on violence and abuse: reflections on the disciplinary variations and practicalities

          Lewis – IntroductionDownload

          Dr Sophie Carlisle, Evidence synthesis in the context of UK domestic and sexual violence services: involving professional stakeholders

          Carlisle – Involving stakeholdersDownload

          Dr Elizabeth Cook, Evidence synthesis in a global context: A systematic review of sex/gender disaggregated homicide

          Cook – Homicide in a global contextDownload

          Dr Jessica Corsi, Evidence synthesis on legal records: Challenges and adaptations

          Corsi – Evidence synthesis on legal recordsDownload

          The seminar was held in hybrid format. The talks were recorded and are available through the following link: https://eppi.ioe.ac.uk/cms/Coursesseminars/Previousseminarsandevents/tabid/3317/Default.aspx

          VISION Knowledge Exchange Manager wins City Staff Excellence Award

            VISION is pleased to announce that Kimberly Cullen, Knowledge Exchange Manager of the research consortium and the Violence & Society Centre (VASC), won the 2024 City Excellence Award for Outstanding collaboration with business, practice and the professions (Professional Services).

            Kim was nominated by her VASC and VISION colleagues for the pivotal role she has played in developing, sustaining and enhancing collaborative relationships between policymakers and practitioners to optimise the impact of research into reducing violence. Her stakeholder engagement and communications skills have been instrumental in forging strong links with the VISION Advisory Board and other important connections and networks.

            Many congratulations to Kim!

            Gene Feder elected to the Academy of Medical Sciences’ Fellowship

              Professor Gene Feder OBE, Professor of Primary Care at the Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol, and the VISION Director, was recently elected to the Academy of Medical Sciences’ esteemed Fellowship in part in recognition of his ground-breaking national and international research on domestic violence and abuse.

              Gene joins a respected Fellowship of approximately 1,400 researchers working alongside the Academy to influence research and health policy in the UK and worldwide.

              The Academy is the independent, expert body representing the diversity of medical science in the UK. Its mission is to advance biomedical and health research and its translation into benefits for society. The Academy’s elected Fellows are the most influential scientists in the UK and worldwide, drawn from the NHS, academia, industry and the public service.

              The VISION consortium congratulates Gene on this prestigious accolade.

              For further information, please see: 2024: Professor Gene Feder elected to the Academy of Medical Sciences Fellowship | Centre for Academic Primary Care | University of Bristol

              New infographic illustrating lived experience as essential knowledge

                In February 2024, the Violence, Abuse, and Mental Health Network (VAMHN) Lived Experience Advisory Group members and several UKPRP VISION Consortium researchers explored together the role of lived experience as a form of knowledge and evidence. They addressed lived experience’s placement within the “evidence hierarchy” and the impact of language on engagement.

                Key points included the significant influence of labels and power dynamics in determining which experiences are deemed valuable, the potential negative connotations of the term “lived experience,” and the necessity for lived experience to be integrated into research processes rather than being an afterthought.

                Discussions underscored the evolving nature of lived experience, the challenges in showcasing expertise, the importance of ethical considerations, and the need for ongoing support and safe spaces for meaningful engagement. The workshop emphasised that lived experience should be a foundational element in research, akin to an integral ingredient, not merely an optional addition.

                The discussions were summarised as a colourful and exciting infographic, illustrated by Jenny Leonard (www.jennyleonardart.com).

                Illustration licensed by VAMHN and Jenny Leonard Art

                Calling all crime analysts: Share your experiences of using text data in analysis

                  Are you a crime analyst or researcher? If so VISION would really like to hear about your experiences of using text data in your analysis.

                  We developed a short survey that will take approximately 5 minutes to complete. Qualtrics Survey | Crime Analyst Survey

                  This survey is designed to explore your experiences working with free-text data. Your feedback will enable us to evaluate the need for software designed to assist analysts working with large amounts of free text data.

                  Participation is voluntary and all responses will be anonymous. Information will be confidential and will not be shared with any other parties, and will be deleted once it is no longer needed.

                  The deadline to provide feedback using the link above is 30 June 2024.

                  Illustration from licensed Adobe Stock library

                  Small projects funded by the VISION consortium

                    We are pleased to announce the five successful proposals for the VISION Small Projects Fund.

                    Over 70 proposals were submitted to our call for projects that contribute to VISION  objectives. This incredible number highlighted not only the strong interest there is in violence-related research, but also the urgent need for increased funding for this type of work.

                    It was a difficult selection process, and we were sorry that we could not fund more.

                    The successful projects were selected by a panel that included experts by experience, and representation from specialist services and a range of academic institutions from around the country. The final portfolio was selected to ensure some diversity of sectors, disciplines, methodologies, and regions.

                    Each project will enhance the VISION research and inform our work. We are excited to work with each of the Principal Investigators (PIs) and their partners.

                    •  Changing Relations Community Interest Company (C.I.C), Weaving stories of peer sexual abuse, PI: Lisa C Davis
                    •  Surviving Economic Abuse, A rapid impact survey to monitor the nature and prevalence of economic abuse in the UK, PI: Rosa Wilson-Garwood
                    • Anglia Ruskin University, ‘Nothing about us without us’: Investigating the impact of the leadership of ethnic minority women on domestic abuse service provision in East England, PI: Mirna Guha
                    • University of West London, Enhancing the wellbeing of victims of Hate Crimes who occupy multiple minority identities, PI: Maya Flax
                    • University of South Wales, Stalking and Young People in Wales: Exploring and increasing knowledge, awareness and understanding, PI: Sarah Wallace

                    For further information on the individual projects, please see the VISION Small Projects Fund webpage: Funded Small Projects – City Vision

                    Final reports from each of the projects will be published on the VISION website when available. We will also organise project presentations via the VISION and VASC Webinar Series and advertise the events on the VISION Publications, Events & News webpage.

                    Illustration from licensed Adobe Stock library