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Understanding neighbourhood level predictors of domestic abuse and their variation over space

    Reducing domestic abuse has become a priority for both local and national governments in the UK, with its substantial human, social, and economic costs. It is an interdisciplinary issue, but to date there has been no research in the UK that has focused on neighbourhood-level predictors of domestic abuse and their variation across space.

    This article uses geographically weighted regression to model the predictors of police-reported domestic abuse in Essex. Readily available structural and cultural variables were found to predict the domestic abuse rate and the repeat victimisation rate at the lower super output area level and the model coefficients were all found to be non-stationary, indicating varying relationships across space. This research not only has important implications for victims’ well being, but also enables policy makers to gain a better understanding of the geography of victimisation, allowing targeted policy interventions and efficiently allocated resources.

    For further information and the article, please see Using geographically weighted regression to explore neighborhood‐level predictors of domestic abuse in the UK – Weir – 2019 – Transactions in GIS – Wiley Online Library

    Photo caption: Andrii Yalanskyi /Shutterstock.com

    Book launch for new publication aimed at improving police responses to domestic abuse

      How to respond and investigate domestic violence

      On 15 November 2022, City, University of London hosted a book launch for Policing Domestic Violence, written by Katy Barrow Grint, Thames Valley Police; Dr Jacqueline Sebire, Cambridge University; Professor Jackie Turton, University of Essex; and Dr Ruth Weir, City, University of London. The event, held in The Pavilion, was attended by local police forces including the Metropolitan Police and Thames Valley Police as well as academics researching domestic violence. The keynote speakers were Louisa Rolfe, OBE, Assistant Commissioner of the Met, and Nicole Jacobs, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner.

      The book, Policing Domestic Violence, is dedicated to improving the practice of the policing of domestic abuse. Its objective is to help inform those working in policing about the dynamics of how domestic abuse occurs, how best to respond to and investigate it, and in the longer term how to prevent it. Divided into thematic areas, the book uses recent research findings to update some of the theoretical analysis and to highlight areas of good practice: ‘what works and why’. An effective investigation and the prosecution of offenders are considered, as well as an evaluation of the success of current treatment options. Policing domestic abuse can only be dealt with through an effective partnership response. The responsibilities of each agency and the statutory processes in place when policy is not adhered to are outlined.

      Written with the student and budding practitioner in mind, this book is filled with case studies, current research, reports, and media examples, as well as a variety of reflective questions and a glossary of key terms, to help shed light on the challenges of policing domestic violence and the links between academic research and best practice.

      Photo caption: from left to right – Dr Ruth Weir, City University; Dr Jackie Turton, University of Essex; Nicole Jacobs, Domestic Abuse Commissioner; Louisa Rolfe, OBE, Assistant Commissioner at the Metropolitan Police; and Katy Barrow Grint, Thames Valley Police

      Protection or paternalism? When ethics committees review domestic violence research

        In health-care settings, asking about trauma is recognised as good practice. Yet in research studies, whether to address trauma and how is contested.

        Some studies prioritise inclusive samples and questions about lived experience. Others avoid potentially retraumatising topics and exclude people considered too vulnerable to participate. While ethical review and safeguarding is essential, at what point does protection become paternalism, and who gets to decide where that line is drawn? Just as harm to participants is unethical, might exclusion from research – at times – also be unethical and a form of epistemic harm?

        For further information and the article, please see: Risk, responsibility, and choice in research ethics – The Lancet Psychiatry  

        Photo credit: fizkes / Shutterstock.com

        Presentations available from the 1st VISION Annual Conference

          The September 2022 Annual Conference marked the first year of the UKPRP Violence, Health and Society consortium.  Participants, including the VISION researchers, Third Sector organisations, government, and academics, reflected on the first year and looked forward to the next four years. VISION presentations covered the entire research project: Health & Health Services, Crime & Justice, Data Integration, and Ethnicity & Intersectionality. These presentations provided highlights of completed research and thoughts on next steps. For further information, please see the slide show directly below or feel free to download the file underneath the slide show.

          VISION-Annual-Conference-Presentations-2022-1Download

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