Responding to the Covid-19 domestic abuse crisis: developing a rapid police evidence base
Lead Research Organisation:
City, University of London
Department Name: School of Social Sciences
Abstract
The proposed project provides a near real-time evidence base to inform the police approach to the apparent surge in domestic violence and abuse (DA) triggered by the Covid-19 lockdown in the UK.
Police case file data from seven diverse police forces are pooled to track the impact of the pandemic on DA, analysing changes in the risk factors, frequency, nature and profile of DA reported to police. These changes are mapped closely to shifts in the restrictions imposed during lockdown, transitional phases and post lockdown, when DA calls to police are expected to spike. The proposed study is the largest and most rigorous analysis of police DA case file data conducted anywhere in the world to date.
The statistical analysis is complemented by regular focused semi-structured phone interviews with police officers, to identify emerging challenges and best practice in the frontline response to DA. The mixed-methods study addresses urgent questions on the impact of Covid-19 on DA, which may have significant implications for the complex task of accurate police risk assessment, victim safeguarding, and criminal prosecution as the Covid-19 pandemic evolves.
The Home Office, the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC), and College of Policing (CoP) are project partners and constitute direct links to critical decision-makers and provide direct routes to impact. A timely and evidence-based development of a police strategy is urgently needed to address the emerging DA crisis and its devastating, long-lasting consequences for victims and their children.
Police case file data from seven diverse police forces are pooled to track the impact of the pandemic on DA, analysing changes in the risk factors, frequency, nature and profile of DA reported to police. These changes are mapped closely to shifts in the restrictions imposed during lockdown, transitional phases and post lockdown, when DA calls to police are expected to spike. The proposed study is the largest and most rigorous analysis of police DA case file data conducted anywhere in the world to date.
The statistical analysis is complemented by regular focused semi-structured phone interviews with police officers, to identify emerging challenges and best practice in the frontline response to DA. The mixed-methods study addresses urgent questions on the impact of Covid-19 on DA, which may have significant implications for the complex task of accurate police risk assessment, victim safeguarding, and criminal prosecution as the Covid-19 pandemic evolves.
The Home Office, the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC), and College of Policing (CoP) are project partners and constitute direct links to critical decision-makers and provide direct routes to impact. A timely and evidence-based development of a police strategy is urgently needed to address the emerging DA crisis and its devastating, long-lasting consequences for victims and their children.
Organisations
- City, University of London (Lead Research Organisation)
- West Midlands Police (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- Durham Constabulary (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- Merseyside Police Service (Collaboration)
- DURHAM UNIVERSITY (Collaboration)
- Staffordshire Police (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- Cumbria Constabulary (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- Northumbria Police (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- Metropolitan Police Service (Collaboration)
- Merseyside Police (Project Partner)
- Home Office (Project Partner)
- College of Policing (Project Partner)
- Metropolitan Police Service (Project Partner)
- Association of Chief Police Officers (Project Partner)
People |
ORCID iD |
| Katrin Hohl (Principal Investigator) | |
| Kelly Johnson (Co-Investigator) |
Publications
Johnson, K.
(2023)
Police responses to domestic abuse during the Covid-19 pandemic: positive action and police legitimacy
in Policing: a journal for policy and practice
Myhill A
(2023)
The 'officer effect'in risk assessment for domestic abuse: Findings from a mixed methods study in England and Wales
in European Journal of Criminology
Johnson K
(2023)
Police Responses to Domestic Abuse during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Positive Action and Police Legitimacy
in Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice
| Description | The project analysed all domestic abuse crimes reported to seven police services in England since the start of the pandemic (March 2020) until the end of April 2021. The difference in differences method and data from the two previous years (2018 and 2019) were used to test whether the introduction and lifting of lockdowns had a statistically significant impact on the volume and/or nature of domestic abuse coming to police attention during the pandemic. In addition, 73 officers from four police services were interviewed between June 2020 and June 2021 to triangulate the quantitative results with how officers experienced, made sense of, and responded to domestic abuse as the pandemic unfolded. Key findings and recommendations: 1. The pandemic did not create the domestic abuse problem, and that the problem does go away as lockdowns lift and Covid restrictions ease. Look beyond lockdown-induced spikes and dips in domestic abuse reporting and respond to the bigger picture of a long-term rise and gendered pattern in domestic abuse 2. Anticipate and prepare for of high-risk situations resulting from pent-up separations of victim-survivors from abusers occurring when lockdowns lift 3. Police officers need to have the knowledge and professional curiosity to recognise ongoing patterns of abuse and not be too quick to assume domestic incidents are "one-offs" caused by pandemic circumstances 4. Prepare for the consequences of the worsening negative impact of domestic abuse on victim-survivor mental health by providing adequate resourcing of services and organisations supporting victim-survivors. 5. The impact of lockdowns different between police forces, and even within a police force the impact of the first lockdown did not always predict the impact of the second and third lockdown. 6. Lockdowns impacted differently on different types of abuse, in particular during the first national lockdown. Whilst ex-partner abuse decreased, current partner and family abuse increased. In some police forces, these reverse impacts cancelled each other other, giving the appliance of a "null-effect" when analysing overall domestic abuse crime volume. This findings suggests that it is important to differentiate between relationship types rather than aggregating over them. 7. Frontline police officers reported no change in their approach to domestic abuse and the use of 'positive action' (e.g. arrests, Domestic Violence Protection Notices/Orders (DVPN/Os), or risk assessment. Rather, officers used their discretion to adapt to the lockdown context within existing frameworks of responding to domestic abuse. Our quantitive data analysis suggests officers temporarily made greater use of arrests and DVPN/Os during the early weeks of the first lockdown, however use reverted back to pre-pandemic levels by summer 2020. |
| Exploitation Route | Outcomes might be taken forward by other researchers working on the same topic. Findings have already forward by the police forces and government agencies with involvement in directing police forces, including the National Police Chiefs Council and the Home Office. Please see "impact narrative" section for details. |
| Sectors | Government, Democracy and Justice |
| URL | https://openaccess.city.ac.uk/id/eprint/27279/ |
| Description | Preliminary findings of this research have been widely shared through briefing documents and webinars with national stakeholders throughout the duration of the project as well as for the 12 months after. Webinars included two well attended public webinars in November 2020 (ESRC Festival of Social Science, 641 participants; Violence against Women and Girls Research Network, 236 participants). Hohl was invited and presented the findings at all National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) Domestic Abuse Stakeholder Meetings in 2020-2021, chaired by the National Police Chiefs Council Lead for domestic abuse and attended by the domestic abuse leads of most UK police forces and key national stakeholders such as the Home Office, Crown Prosecution Service, Ministry of Justice, Domestic Abuse Commissioners' Office and domestic abuse charities. This real time research generated policy interest with Hohl contributing to a Parliament horizon scanning briefing on 'Life Beyond Covid' (September 2020) and being cited by the NPCC at a Home Affairs Select Committee on 'The Home Office preparedness for Covid-19' (October 2020). The preliminary findings shared during the course of the research have directly led to increased resource allocation to domestic abuse in one English Police Force. Superintendent [XXX] said: "[Hohl and Johnson's] project has already informed the constabulary's decision-making. This is mainly around allocation of resources to process demand relating to domestic abuse and other safeguarding referrals [] The research provided an evidence base to show how demand around domestic abuse is changing and increasing. This has enabled a stronger case to be made to senior management about increasing the staffing to maintain an effective processing system". At the national level, the findings have informed police understandings of domestic abuse during the Covid-19 pandemic. The NPCC's Domestic Abuse Lead, MPS Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe, said the results "have informed our understanding of how Covid-19 is impacting on police recorded abuse and decision-making on the matter". Further, in October 2021 a Home Office representative writes "your excellent research has informed our (HO) understanding of Domestic Abuse (DA) during Covid and we briefed our senior officials and ministers using this evidence. Your research has also been tremendously useful when thinking through different scenarios of what may happen with DA prevalence and reporting to police once covid restrictions would be lifted.. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2000 |
| Sector | Government, Democracy and Justice |
| Impact Types | Policy & public services |
| Description | Heavily referenced in the "Respect and Save Lives Drive Project partnership" report on the impact of Covid-19 lockdowns on those who use abusive behaviour in relationships |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Citation in other policy documents |
| Impact | Louisa Comber, in charge of developing this report, contacted the PI Hohl in December 2020 following her and her colleagues attendance of the webinar we organised as part of the ESRC festival social science, presenting preliminary findings of our research. She asked us for further details on our findings, and the slides of the webinar. These findings have then been incorporated in the report, as well as into the press release and tweets advertising the report. Specifically, our finding that the lifting of lockdown poses a dangerous moment where pent up separations (our research found survivors delay separations until after lockdowns) can trigger an escalation in abuse, leading to an increase in high-risk domestic abuse cases. The report also echos our recommendation for funding and attention to be sustained past the lifting of lockdown, when police and third sector resourcing will be in high demand (based on our findings). |
| URL | http://driveproject.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DP3_Drive-survey-of-people-using-abusive-behav... |
| Description | Informed police decision making and resourcing for domestic abuse during Covid 19 |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Implementation circular/rapid advice/letter to e.g. Ministry of Health |
| Impact | The research has informed police decision making and police resourcing with regard to the police response to domestic abuse during Covid 19. We have received testimonial letters and emails to this effect from: - Domestic Abuse Lead, National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC), letter 21.12.2021. Quote: "The findings of the ESRC Funded project "Domestic abuse during COVID 19: developing a rapid police evidence base" produced by Dr. Katrin Hohl and Dr. Kelly Johnson were shared with us via presentations at the NPCC Domestic Abuse Stakeholder meeting on the 8th of September and 2nd of December 2020, and circulation of the PowerPoint slide deck of the same name. These findings have informed our understanding of how Covid 19 is impacting on police recorded abuse and decision making on the matter." - Senior Officer, Cumbria Police, letter 14.11.2020 Quote: "the research project has already informed the constabulary's decision-making. This is mainly around allocation of resources to process demand relating to domestic abuse and other safeguarding referrals [] The research provided an evidence base to show how demand around domestic abuse is changing and increasing. This has enabled a stronger case to be made to senior management about increasing the staffing to maintain an effective processing system" - Senior Officer, Sussex Police. Email to Dr Kelly Johnson responding to the blog post on preliminary findings (posted 10.12.2020), two emails received 22 January 2021. Quote: "Just wanted to say how interesting your research blog was. I have shared widely with colleagues and partners here in Sussex." "To updated, I shared your research with our Police and Crime Commissioner's Office and our PCC is going to use it to request advanced notice from the Home Office about when restrictions will be eased so that we can be better prepared to support victims and to cope with the anticipated increase in demand." |
| Description | Informing Home Office preparations for Covid-19 |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Citation in other policy documents |
| Impact | The research was referenced by the National Police Chiefs Council's Domestic abuse lead, Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe, during the Oral evidence Home Affairs Committee session on the subject "Home Office preparedness for Covid- 19 (Coronavirus), HC 232, Q788, Wednesday 21 October 2020 |
| URL | https://committees.parliament.uk/oralevidence/1097/pdf/ |
| Description | Parliamentary Home Affairs Committee Home Office Preparedness for Covid-19 (Coronavirus) Consultation: Supplementary Call for Evidence Submission |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| Description | Research Collaboration Metropolitan Police Service |
| Organisation | Metropolitan Police Service |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Providing a briefing document and briefing meeting on the results of the analysis of the data provided by Cumbria Police to this ESRC funded research project. Providing Cumbria Constabulary with the research outputs of this project, invitations to webinars on research findings of this project. Briefly |
| Collaborator Contribution | Production and sharing of anonymised datasets of all domestic abuse flagged crimes and incidents 1 March 2018 - 30 April 2021. Officer time for 25 in-depths interviews with officers of various ranks and roles. |
| Impact | In progress. |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | Research collaboration Durham University |
| Organisation | Durham University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Principal investigator role in the project |
| Collaborator Contribution | Co-Investigator role in the project |
| Impact | - All outputs from ES/V007033/1 |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | Research collaboration Merseyside Police |
| Organisation | Merseyside Police Service |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Providing a briefing document and briefing meeting on the results of the analysis of the data provided by Merseyside Police to this ESRC funded research project. Providing Merseyside Police with the research outputs of this project, invitations to webinars on research findings of this project. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Production and sharing of anonymised datasets of all domestic abuse flagged crimes and incidents 1 March 2018 - 30 April 2021. Officer time for 25 in-depths interviews with officers of various ranks and roles. |
| Impact | - Merseyside first results briefing, 8 October 2020 |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | Research collaboration West Midlands Police |
| Organisation | West Midlands Police |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Providing a briefing document and briefing meeting on the results of the analysis of the data provided by West Midlands Police to this ESRC funded research project. Providing West Midlands Police with the research outputs of this project, invitations to webinars on research findings of this project. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Production and sharing of anonymised datasets of all domestic abuse flagged crimes and incidents 1 March 2018 - 30 April 2021. |
| Impact | - West Midlands first results briefing, 6 October 2020 |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | Research collaboration with Cumbria Constabulary |
| Organisation | Cumbria Constabulary |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Providing a briefing document and briefing meeting on the results of the analysis of the data provided by Cumbria Police to this ESRC funded research project. Providing Cumbria Constabulary with the research outputs of this project, invitations to webinars on research findings of this project. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Production and sharing of anonymised datasets of all domestic abuse flagged crimes and incidents 1 March 2018 - 30 April 2021. Officer time for 25 in-depths interviews with officers of various ranks and roles. |
| Impact | - Cumbria First results briefing report 27 August 2020 - Cumbria Second results briefing report 3 November 2020 - DA Covid 19 Quarterly Briefing 2, slide deck, 8 October 2020 - Cumbria Police testimonial 15 November 2020, confirming "the results have enabled a stronger case to be made to senior managers about increasing the staffing to maintain an effective response system" |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | Research collaboration with Durham Constabulary |
| Organisation | Durham Constabulary |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Providing a briefing document and briefing meeting on the results of the analysis of the data provided by Durham Constabulary to this ESRC funded research project. Providing Durham Constabulary with the research outputs of this project, invitations to webinars on research findings of this project. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Production and sharing of anonymised datasets of all domestic abuse flagged crimes and incidents 1 March 2018 - 30 April 2021. |
| Impact | - Durham Constabulary First Results 18 November 2020 |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | Research collaboration with Northumbria Police |
| Organisation | Northumbria Police |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Providing a briefing document and briefing meeting on the results of the analysis of the data provided by Northumbria Police to this ESRC funded research project. Providing Northumbria Police with the research outputs of this project, invitations to webinars on research findings of this project. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Production and sharing of anonymised datasets of all domestic abuse flagged crimes and incidents 1 March 2018 - 30 April 2021. Officer time for 25 in-depths interviews with officers of various ranks and roles |
| Impact | - Northumbria first results briefing, 3 November 2020 |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | Staffordshire Police |
| Organisation | Staffordshire Police |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Providing a briefing document and briefing meeting on the results of the analysis of the data provided by Staffordshire Police to this ESRC funded research project. Providing Staffordshire Police with the research outputs of this project, invitations to webinars on research findings of this project |
| Collaborator Contribution | Production and sharing of anonymised datasets of all domestic abuse flagged crimes and incidents 1 March 2018 - 30 April 2021. |
| Impact | - Staffordshire Police first results briefing, 3 November 2020 |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | ESRC Festival of Social Science Webinar |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | 614 registered participants attended a webinar we organised with the help of a Durham ESRC impact acceleration fund as part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science. We presented preliminary findings our this project, and invited three other ESRC funded projects on the same topic to present alongside us. Participants from a range of government agencies, third sector organisations, as well as academics have registered for the event. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSr2x5bJcOo&t=135s |
| Description | Invitation for a meeting with the CEO if Scottish Women's Aid |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | Invited to brief the CEO of Scottish Women's Aid, Dr. Marsha Scott, on the findings of this research. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Presentation of findings at National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) National domestic abuse stakeholder meetings (twice - September 2020 and December 2020) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The NPCC invited us to both of these national stakeholder meetings- comprising the Domestic abuse leads of police forces in all four nations of the UK, all criminal justice relevant government agencies and ministries and a range of domestic abuse third sector organisations. Both times we gave a 15 minute presentation on our most recent preliminary findings. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Quarterly Stakeholder Briefing Meeting 8 October 2020 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Quarterly briefing meeting to the Home Office, College of Policing, Cumbria Constabulary, Durham Constabulary, Merseyside Police, Northumbria Police, Metropolitan Police Service, Staffordshire Police, West Midlands Police |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Quarterly stakeholder briefing meeting 30 June 2020 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Quarterly briefing meeting to the Home Office, College of Policing, Cumbria Constabulary, Durham Constabulary, Merseyside Police, Northumbria Police, Metropolitan Police Service, Staffordshire Police, West Midlands Police |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Webinar on Domestic abuse during Covid 19 as it comes to police attention |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | We presented the findings of this study to over 240 participants at a webinar organised by the Violence against Women and Girls Research Network. This popular seminar series attracts a wide audience of practitioners, victim-survivors, third sector organisations, activists, campaigners and researchers. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.play.mdx.ac.uk/media/VAWGRN+Webinar+-+19.11.20+-+Covid+19+and+Domestic+Abuse/1_o37ni7fy |