Caring for survivors of domestic abuse: love, violence and safe space

Abstract

Those fleeing domestic violence often have complex and diverse needs but central for all is access to a 'place of safety'. Caring for victims/survivors is largely predicated on the availability of secure housing but an absence of stock together with competition in the private rented sector has significantly reduced the chances of victims of domestic violence and abuse (DVA) being housed. In this paper, I explore the 'cultures of care' that shape responses to the housing needs of victims/survivors of DVA by those working in housing and other support services, showing that, in an environment of limited resource, an understanding of the experiences and choices of victims/survivors becomes highly significant. Drawing on research undertaken in the UK, I argue that attitudes towards victims/survivors of DVA are shaped by notions of romantic love and constructions of the abused body as unruly, unpredictable and self-destructive. Within this context survivors' 'poor choices' may serve to limit their access to safe housing and to wider cultures of care and support. The paper provides a theoretically informed contribution to understandings of the relationship between violence, love and care and how this plays out in safe housing provision. Cuidando a sobrevivientes de abuso doméstico: amor, violencia y espacio seguro RESUMENQuienes huyen de la violencia doméstica a menudo tienen necesidades complejas y diversas, pero para todos es fundamental el acceso a un 'lugar seguro'. El cuidado de las víctimas/sobrevivientes se basa en gran medida en la disponibilidad de viviendas seguras, pero la ausencia de existencias junto con la competencia en el sector privado de alquiler ha reducido significativamente las posibilidades de que las víctimas de violencia y abuso domésticos (DVA) sean alojadas. En este artículo, exploro las 'culturas de la atención' que dan forma a las respuestas y las necesidades de vivienda de las víctimas/sobrevivientes de DVA por parte de quienes trabajan en la vivienda y otros servicios de apoyo, mostrando que, en un entorno de recursos limitados, la comprensión de las experiencias y las opciones de las víctimas/supervivientes se vuelven muy ARTICLE HISTORY

“They really care about you, they really build relationships”: Care and justice in a community organization

“…A growing literature documents the value, complexity, and importance of critical consciousness in practices and policies of care (Delia & Krasney, 2018; Little, 2021; Middleton & Samanani, 2021). Critical consciousness refers to the ability to critically analyze and work to transform systems of inequity and disenfranchisement (Freire, 1972).…”

“…Austerity measures and welfare reform both create severe limitations on budgeting for needed care, and create challenging and devaluing environments for workers in the care sector (Daly, 2018; Gist‐Mackey & Guy, 2019; Lydahl & Hansen Löfstrand, 2020). Furthermore, those interested in caring for individuals perceived as in need may rely on assumptions or stereotypes, particularly when aiming to work with communities of which one is not a part (Little, 2021). Creating an inclusive environment that prioritizes the care and wellbeing of diverse minoritized communities requires organizational policies and practices of decision‐making that attend to the identities and positionalities of community participants and workers, and the micro and macro contexts that shape contemporary realities.…”

Why ‘cultures of care’?

“…Moving from the spaces of animal research to look at the juxtaposition of harm and care in a different setting, Jo Little (2021) looks at the relations between violence, love and care in the provision and allocation of safe housing. Her work demonstrates the need to understand care within organizational structures and the wider cultural attitudes, interests and motivations that shape those organizations.…”