scholarly journals ‘I feel like we’re really behind the game’: perspectives of the United Kingdom’s intimate partner violence support sector on the rise of technology-facilitated abuse

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonie Maria Tanczer ◽  
Isabel López-Neira ◽  
Simon Parkin
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Support Services ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Consumer Products ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Training Support ◽  
Online Tools ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Data Documentation

Technology-facilitated abuse or ‘tech abuse’ in intimate partner violence (IPV) contexts describes the breadth of harms that can be enacted using digital systems and online tools. While the misappropriation of technologies in the context of IPV has been subject to prior research, a dedicated study on the United Kingdom’s IPV support sector has so far been missing. The present analysis summarises insights derived from semi-structured interviews with 34 UK voluntary and statutory sector representatives that were conducted over the course of two years (2018–2020). The analysis identifies four overarching themes that point out support services’ practices, concerns and challenges in relation to tech abuse, and specifically the Internet of Things (IoT). These themes include (a) technology-facilitated abuse, where interviewees outline their experiences and understanding of the concept of tech abuse; (b) IoT-enabled tech abuse, focusing on the changing dynamics of tech abuse due to the continuing rise of smart consumer products; (c) data, documentation and assessment, that directs our attention to the shortcomings of existing risk assessment and recording practices; and (d) training, support and assistance, in which participants point to the need for specialist support capabilities to be developed within and beyond existing services.<br /><br />Key messages<br /><ul><li>UK statutory and voluntary support services do not feel well equipped to respond to tech abuse.</li><br /><li>Shortcomings in documentation and assessment practices make it difficult to estimate the full scale and nature of tech abuse.</li><br /><li>Tech abuse training and other support mechanisms are needed to amplify the UK sector’s ability to assist IPV victims/survivors.</li></ul>

scholarly journals Evaluating interventions with victims of intimate partner violence: a community psychology approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cinzia Albanesi ◽  
Carlo Tomasetto ◽  
Veronica Guardabassi
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Professional Training ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Purpose Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is one of the most common forms of domestic violence, with profound implication for women's physical and psychological health. In this text we adopted the Empowerment Process Model (EPM) by Cattaneo and Goodman (Psychol Violence 5(1):84–94) to analyse interventions provided to victims of IPV by a Support Centre for Women (SCW) in Italy, and understand its contribution to women’s empowerment. Method We conducted semi-structured interviews with ten women who had been enrolled in a program for IPV survivors at a SCW in the past three years. The interviews focused on the programs’ aims, actions undertaken to reach them, and the impact on the women’s lives, and were analysed using an interpretative phenomenological approach. Results Results showed that the interventions provided by the SWC were adapted according to women's needs. In the early phases, women’s primary aim was ending violence, and the intervention by the SCW was deemed as helpful to the extent it provided psychological support, protection and safe housing. Women’s aims subsequently moved to self-actualisation and economic and personal independence which required professional training, internships, and social support. Although satisfying the majority of the women’s expectations, other important needs (e.g., economic support or legal services) were poorly addressed, and cooperation with other services (e.g., police or social services) was sometimes deemed as critical. Conclusions By evaluating a program offered by a SCW to IPV survivors through the lens of the EPM model, we found that women deemed the program as effective when both individual resources and empowerment processes were promoted. Strengths, limitations and implications are discussed.

scholarly journals An Exploration of How Women Experience the Process of Intimate Partner Violence in Relationships Characterised by Bi-Directional Aggression.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Annette Levine
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Policy Research ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Preventive Action ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Widespread Access ◽  
The Relationship

<p>This qualitative study explored how women in New Zealand experienced the process of intimate partner violence in relationships with men, which were characterised by bi-directional aggression. Using thematic analysis, semi-structured interviews with 11 women who experienced bi-directionally aggressive relationships were analysed and four themes were identified that encompassed 1) the foundations of bi-directional aggression; 2) the nature of bi-directional aggression within the relationship; 3) how the women were stuck in the relationship, and; 4) moving forward. The findings indicate how the vulnerabilities to bi-directional aggression can develop from early life and perpetuate and exacerbate over time in the context of the relationship dynamic. This highlights the need to implement preventive action to support adaptive self-regulation development in young people and families, provide education about bi-directional aggression and widespread access to support and treatment resources for all genders. Further implications and future directions for policy, research and practice regarding bi-directional aggression are discussed.</p>

Facilitators to Engagement in a Mother–Child Therapeutic Intervention Following Intimate Partner Violence

2020 ◽  
pp. 088626052092631
Author(s):  
Alison Fogarty ◽  
Karli Treyvaud ◽  
Priscilla Savopoulos ◽  
Amanda Jones ◽  
Allison Cox ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Women’S Perceptions ◽  
Key Barrier ◽  
Additional Support

Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects more than one in four children worldwide. Despite the growing evidence base for interventions addressing children’s IPV exposure, little is known about what assists families to engage with services. The current study sought to explore women’s perceptions of barriers and facilitators to accessing an intervention for their children following IPV. A total of 16 mothers who had engaged in a community-based, dyadic intervention for children exposed to IPV participated in the study. The Brief Relational Intervention and Screening (BRISC) is an evidenced informed program designed by Berry Street (Australia). A pilot of the intervention was implemented across one metropolitan and one regional site. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 mothers who had completed BRISC. Transcripts were analyzed in NVivo using thematic analysis. Key facilitators to initial engagement included strong referral pathways, clear information about the program, and initial phone contact from the service. Difficulty trusting services were identified as a key barrier to initial engagement. Facilitators of continued engagement included flexibility in service delivery, consistent and direct communication between sessions, and the therapeutic approach. Key barriers to sustained intervention engagement included children’s continued contact with their father, mothers’ experiences of guilt and blame, and the need for additional support for mothers’ own mental health. These findings highlight how service and clinician factors such as flexibility, therapeutic approaches, and communication can facilitate engagement for families affected by IPV. In addition, the study highlights the importance of including the voices of women in research to improve the acceptability of services for consumers.

Challenges of Seeking Reproductive Health Care in People Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence

2020 ◽  
pp. 088626052095962
Author(s):  
Carly O’Connor-Terry ◽  
Danielle Burton ◽  
Tejasvi Gowda ◽  
Adrianne Laing ◽  
Judy C. Chang
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Reproductive Health ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Reproductive Health Services ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Reproductive Health Care ◽  
Title X

Title X is a federally funded family planning initiative that provides low-cost and confidential reproductive health services to its clients. In recent years, Title X has been the subject of debate as its core tenants have been revised by the current administration. Though advocates have fought against these changes, the voices of survivors on intimate partner violence are absent from this conversation. This study was designed to elicit the opinions and experiences on survivors of intimate partner violence on reproductive decision-making, their access to care, and their opinions about political efforts to restrict this access. Twenty-six semi-structured interviews were conducted with women who were seeking services for intimate partner violence. These interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded. Codes were then organized into themes. Participants endorsed the need for confidential services due to experiences of coercion from their partners and the fear of retaliation against them. Participants largely supported accessible contraception but reported the need for contraception to be reliable. Participants addressed pregnancy and its many complexities and advocated for nondirective options-counseling. Overall, participants spoke about their challenges with reproductive health care and their opinions on how best to service survivors of intimate partner violence. This study asserts the need for advocates for survivors to advocate for the preservation of Title X and establishes the need for future studies on the prevalence of intimate partner violence in Title X clinics.

scholarly journals Female survivors of intimate partner violence and risk of depression, anxiety and serious mental illness

2019 ◽  
Vol 217 (4) ◽  
pp. 562-567 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joht Singh Chandan ◽  
Tom Thomas ◽  
Caroline Bradbury-Jones ◽  
Rebecca Russell ◽  
Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Incidence Rate ◽  
Serious Mental Illness ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Diagnostic Delay ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Female Survivors ◽  
The Uk

BackgroundInternationally, intimate partner violence (IPV) cohorts have demonstrated associations with depression and anxiety. However, this association has not yet been described in a UK population, nor has the association with serious mental illness (SMI).AimsTo explore the relationship between IPV exposure and mental illness in a UK population.MethodWe designed a retrospective cohort study whereby we matched 18 547 women exposed to IPV to 74 188 unexposed women. Outcomes of interest (anxiety, depression and SMI) were identified through clinical codes.ResultsAt baseline, 9174 (49.5%) women in the exposed group had some form of mental illness compared with 17 768 (24.0%) in the unexposed group, described as an adjusted odds ratio of 2.62 (95% CI 2.52–2.72). Excluding those with mental illness at baseline, 1254 exposed women (incidence rate 46.62 per 1000 person-years) went on to present with any type of mental illness compared with 3119 unexposed women (incidence rate 14.93 per 1000 person-years), with an aIRR of 2.77 (95% CI 2.58–2.97). Anxiety (aIRR 1.99, 95% CI 1.80–2.20), depression (aIRR 3.05, 95% CI 2.81–3.31) and SMI (aIRR 3.08, 95% CI 2.19–4.32) were all associated with exposure to IPV.ConclusionsIPV remains a significant public health issue in the UK. We have demonstrated the significant recorded mental health burden associated with IPV in primary care, at both baseline and following exposure. Clinicians must be aware of this association to reduce mental illness diagnostic delay and improve management of psychological outcomes in this group of patients.

Understanding Forgiveness After Leaving an Abusive Relationship: The Voices of Chinese Female Intimate Partner Violence Survivors

2020 ◽  
pp. 107780122095216
Author(s):  
Qinglu Wu ◽  
Ling Wang ◽  
Anna Wai-Man Choi
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Chinese Women ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Abusive Relationship ◽  
Cognitive Reframing

Forgiveness is known to play an important role in recovery studies of female intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors. However, survivors’ understanding of forgiveness remains unclear. This study explored forgiveness through semi-structured interviews with 25 Chinese women. The results indicate that forgiveness is an unintended process that comprises the alleviation of a grudge held against former partners and a reframed understanding of them. It does not involve reconciliation. Moreover, establishment of clear boundaries is a precondition for forgiveness. The findings supplement knowledge on forgiveness and the importance of cognitive reframing, emotion regulation, and establishing clear boundaries in forgiveness and recovery.

Listening to Bedouin Women Who Were Affected by Intimate Partner Violence and Sought Help From a Doctor

2019 ◽  
pp. 088626051988100
Author(s):  
Iris Manor-Binyamini ◽  
Michal Schreiber-Divon
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Social Space ◽  
Phenomenological Study ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Community Clinic ◽  
First Interview

The purpose of this study was to examine how Bedouin women perceived and interpreted seeing a doctor for help in the aftermath of intimate partner violence. In the phenomenological study, 38 semi-structured interviews were conducted at two different points in time. The first interview took place before the first appointment with the doctor, and the second took place about 3 months after seeing the doctor. The findings revealed two main themes: an act of resistance against the prevailing social norms and empowerment out of crisis. The study found that doctors and other professionals working in the field of domestic violence in community clinics provide a reliable first source of support for women within a limiting social space. This brings into focus the centrality of the role of the doctor/health care professionals within the framework of the community clinic and is intended to direct, train, and deepen the insights of the medical staff that work with women affected by intimate partner violence and to create uniformity in the interventions for these women.

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