Who Listens? The Voices of Domestic Violence Survivors in Service Provision in the United Kingdom

Abstract

This article discusses, in the context of the United Kingdom, service user participation in domestic violence services and how much the voices of domestic violence survivors are heard in policy and service development. If services addressing domestic violence are to continue to develop and to effectively meet abused women's needs, then the views of those using them need to be heeded and acted on. In the UK, these views have been mainly overlooked in the past. Now, however, as in some other countries, domestic violence survivor participation has been addressed to a small extent. This article discusses some of the pioneering techniques being tried out and the sensitivity and difficulties involved, within a context of an understanding of empowerment and the activist movement against gender violence. The article considers the participation of UK women experiencing violence in both shelter and advocacy services, in wider interagency forums and in policy development.

Inclusive Domestic Violence Standards: Strategies to Improve Interventions for Women With Disabilities?

“…A central tenet of the disability movement and the violence against women movement has been to ensure that those with the lived experience are supported in safe and respectful ways to participate in service development (Hague & Mullender, 2006). The professionalization and the involvement of mainstream organizations such as the police and court services has not always brought with it the inclusion and consultation with survivors, including women with disabilities (FCLC, 2007;Nixon & Humphreys, 2010;Sullivan, 2011).…”

Percepções dos profissionais de uma rede intersetorial sobre o atendimento a mulheres em situação de violência

“…This discourse promotes laying the blame on the woman, and this was also found in another study that affirmed that unsatisfactory assistance at women's police stations and institutional violence are not the reality only of third-world countries 22 . According to Hague et al 23 , there are reports of insufficient listening, disbelief and poor protection even in services in countries such as the United Kingdom. Nonetheless, the police are still one of the resources most used by women who seek help 23 .…”

“…According to Hague et al 23 , there are reports of insufficient listening, disbelief and poor protection even in services in countries such as the United Kingdom. Nonetheless, the police are still one of the resources most used by women who seek help 23 .…”

Representation as Interactive Communication

“…One example of such use of interactive communication among political representatives is the 'Womenspeak' consultation of the British parliament (Coleman 2004). This online consultation provides parliamentarians the opportunity to interact with survivors of domestic violence and to engage in a discussion based on the experiential testimony of a group of citizens that is otherwise more often talked about than directly heard from in the political process (Hague & Mullender 2006).…”