Reducing domestic abuse harms: a multi-agency approach to working with perpetrators

(Collaborative Doctoral Award)

Project background

Domestic abuse causes serious harm to individuals and families and remains a persistent challenge for public services. In
the UK, 6.5 million adults are estimated to have directly experienced domestic abuse (8.4% of women and 4.2% of men in
2018-19). Most services still place the onus on victims and families, to try to keep themselves safe, often by taking
measures with a high personal cost, such as leaving their home. Few engage with perpetrators to stop the abuse in the first
place. A failure to deal effectively with perpetrators leaves violent and abusive behaviours and attitudes unchallenged. And it risks displacing rather than reducing domestic abuse.

Islington Council Violence against Women and Girls Service has recently received £2million to transform its domestic
abuse provision. Developing new and innovative measures to engage and deal with perpetrators is a key priority.

Project aims and objectives
This 3-year fully funded studentship will give a PhD researcher the opportunity to work with Islington and a team of expert academics at the University of Essex's centre for criminology, to produce new findings and recommendations on how to reduce the harm caused by perpetrators.
Project supervisors have strong relationships with government and with key domestic abuse organisations. The successful candidate will be supported to become an important independent scholar in the field and develop a strong academic career.