SURVIVORS OF DOME ST IC ABUSE : L E ARNING BE YOND T HE RE - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

SURVIVORS OF DOME ST IC ABUSE : L E ARNING BE YOND T HE RE SE ARCH OUT COME S Ra c he l Ro b b ins, Se nio r Re se a rc h F e llo w

I N PRAI SE OF F OCUS GROUPS • Curre nt c o nte xt o f do me stic a b use se rvic e s • T he c a se fo r a nd a g a inst the use o f F o c us Gro ups • T o sho w ho w e va lua tive re se a rc h c a n pro vide finding s b e yo nd the re se a rc h a ims • So me tho ug hts o n ho w to b uild c o lla b o ra tio n a nd c o mmunic a tio n a c ro ss do me stic a b use se rvic e s

T HE WE L F ARE ST AT E “I n the ne xt thirty ye a rs, ho use wive s a s mo the rs ha ve vita l wo rk to do in e nsuring the c o ntinua nc e o f the British ra c e ” (Be ve ridg e , 1942: pa ra 117)

T HE UK CONT E XT : DOME ST I C ABUSE Dome stic T he T hre e Pla ne t Viole nc e Mo de l ADUL T S (He ste r, 2011) Crimina l Justic e Ra ng e o f Suppo rt Child Pr ote c tion Child Contac t PARE NT S CHI L D Pub lic L a w Priva te L a w Me dia te d Sta te o utc o me s, inte rve ntio n in c o nta c t dysfunc tio n pre sumptio n fa milie s

NE O-L I BE RAL I SM “Pe rhaps the mo st impo rtant thing to g rasp ab o ut the diffe re nt the o rie s g athe re d to g e the r unde r the b anne r o f ne o -lib e ralism is that the y have in c o mmo n a c e ntral e mphasis o n the marke t as the o rg anising princ iple s o f so c ial life . T he the o rists mo st c o mmo nly unde rsto o d as pro po sing ne o - lib e ral so c ial arrang e me nts are princ ipally – altho ug h no t e xc lusive ly - fro m the disc ipline o f e c o no mic s and, the re fo re , so c ial life and so c ial re latio nships are vie we d thro ug h the prism o f e c o no mic c ate g o rie s” (Pe nn a nd O’ Brie n, 2009: 109)

T HE L I BE RAL SUBJE CT “L ib e ra lism a ssume s the individua l to b e e sse ntia lly ra tio na l … T he individua l is a lso a ttrib ute d with kno wle dg e o f his (sic ) o wn b e st inte re sts a nd the a b ility to pursue the m ra tio na lly. Ra tio na l e c o no mic ma n, a c c o rding to c la ssic a l e c o no mists, ma ximise s pro fits: po litic a l ma n ma ximise s his utilitie s thro ug h judic io us pa rtic ipa tio n a nd c ho ic e … F ro m Ho b b e s a nd L o c ke o nwa rds, the pursuit o f se lf-inte re st wa s a c c e pte d a s ma n’ s pro pe r mo tiva tio n” (Go o dwin, 1989: 35)

T HE NE O-L I BE RAL SUBJE CT • Ho mo c o nsume ns (Ba uma n, 2003: 69) • “… po stmo de rn so c ie ty e ng a g e s its me mb e rs prima rily in the ir c a pa c ity a s c o nsume rs ra the r tha n pro duc e rs” (Ba uma n, 2012: 76)

NE O-L I BE RAL I SM I N PRACT I CE I f a c usto me r has c apac ity, kno ws the c o nse q ue nc e s o f the ir ac tio n, and do e sn’ t c o nse nt to furthe r ac tio n than yo u c an’ t do anything , Can’ t fo rc e the issue , c an o nly advise and g ive what the o ptio ns are . (Adult So c ia l Wo rke r) (Cite d in Ro b b ins e t. a l., 2016: 135)

CUT S I N T HE VAWG SE CT OR T hirty-o ne pe rc e nt o f the funding to the do me stic vio le nc e a nd se xua l a b use • se c to r fro m lo c a l a utho ritie s wa s c ut b e twe e n 2010/ 11 to 2011/ 12, a re duc tio n fro m £7.8 millio n to £5.4 millio n. T he o rg a nisa tio ns with sma lle r b udg e ts fro m the lo c a l a utho ritie s ha d mo re • sub sta ntia l b udg e t c uts tha n la rg e r o ne s: a mo ng tho se with lo c a l a utho rity funding o f le ss tha n £20,000 the a ve ra g e c ut wa s 70% a s c o mpa re d with 29% fo r tho se re c e iving o ve r £100,000, b e twe e n 2010/ 11 a nd 2011/ 12 320 wo me n, just unde r 9% o f tho se se e king re fug e , we re turne d a wa y b y • Wo me n’ s Aid o n a typic a l da y in 2011 due to la c k o f spa c e . (Wa lb y a nd T o we rs, 2012) •

AUST E RI T Y AS ST RUCT URAL VI OL E NCE “We a rg ue tha t fa iling to pro vide ke y se rvic e s to wo me n who a re mo the rs a nd c hildre n/ yo ung pe o ple who ne e d he lp me a ns tha t the y a re vic tims o f two diffe re nt type s o f vio le nc e : no t o nly ha ve the y suffe re d o r witne sse d do me stic vio le nc e in the ho me , b ut the y fa c e struc tura l vio le nc e fro m the sta te thro ug h the g o ve rnme nt’ s fa ilure to pro vide suffic ie nt suppo rt se rvic e s.” (Sa nde rs-Mc Do na g h, e t a l., 2016: 72)

T he T hre e Pla ne t Mo de l Dome stic (Upda te d) Viole nc e ADUL T S Crimina l Justic e Ra ng e o f Suppo rt Child Contac t Child Pr ote c tion PARE NT S CHI L D Priva te L a w Pub lic L a w Me dia te d Sta te inte rve ntio n o utc o me s, in dysfunc tio n c o nta c t fa milie s pre sumptio n

E VAL UAT I VE RE SE ARCH “T he syste ma tic e xa mina tio n a nd a sse ssme nt o f fe a ture s o f a n initia tive a nd its e ffe c ts, in o rde r to pro duc e info rma tio n tha t c a n b e use d b y tho se who ha ve a n inte re st in its impro ve me nts o r e ffe c tive ne ss” (WHO, 1998: 3)

F OCUS GROUPS Stre ng ths L imita tio ns • L e ss e xpe nsive fo r re se a rc h • T he y c a n b e diffic ult to c o mmissio ne rs o rg a nise , tra nsc rib e a nd • Jo int c o nstruc tio n o f me a ning a na lyse • Allo ws pe e r c ha lle ng e • Unpre dic ta b le g ro up • Re plic a te s so me inte rve ntio ns dyna mic s a nd no rms within the fie ld o f do me stic a b use • I ssue s o f c o nfide ntia lity a re mo re diffic ult to a ddre ss • Re linq uishe s so me o f the po we r o f the re se a rc he r to the g ro up – to g ive the g ro up o wne rship o f the re se a rc h pro c e ss

T HE L I GHT BUL B MOME NT • ‘ Do n’ t e ve n g e t us sta rte d o n so c ia l wo rke rs.’ Ano the r vo c ife ro us me mb e r o f the g ro up re spo nde d with: ‘ And I a m a so c ia l wo rke r.’ T he re wa s a n a wkwa rd pa use , fille d q uic kly with ‘ Do n’ t wo rry I do n’ t do c hild pro te c tio n’ a s she e xpla ine d tha t she wo rks with o lde r pe o ple . • (Ro b b ins a nd Co o k, 2017: 2)

WHAT F OCUS GROUPS CAN OF F E R • Co nte xt a s e ve ryda y e xpe rie nc e • Re la tio nships/ re la tio na l na ture o f a b use a nd suppo rt • Suppo rt • Ne w ide a s

CONT E XT AS E VE RYDAY E XPE RI E NCE - I NE QUAL I T Y “T he y sa y c rime do n’ t pa y a nd ye t “We sho uld b e so c ia l wo rke rs a nd tha t whe n my e x g o t o ut o f priso n fo r so rt o f thing . Be c a use the n we g e t kic king my he a d in, he g o t g ive n a the c ha nc e to se rve the c o mmunity fla t.” b y wha t we ha ve le a rne d fro m the m.” “I think the re sho uld b e mo re “We ll yo u c a n b ut wha t a b o ut the c o nse q ue nc e s fo r the me n, b e c a use b lo o dy tuitio n fe e s? ” it’ s the m who do the shit a nd the y just se e m to live the life o f L a rry, mo ve ho use , g e t a c a r a nd e ve rything a nd wo me n a re de a ling with the e mo tio na l shit, ha ving to c a re fo r o ur c hildre n a nd tha t with ve ry little suppo rt. T he y’ ve g o t the c o ntro l still”

CONT E XT AS E VE RYDAY E XPE RI E NCE – T HE E NVI RONME NT “I wa s so a t the e nd o f my te the r with the thing s tha t I ’ d g o ne thro ug h a t the e nd o f De c e mb e r, I wro te to (L o c a l MP) a nd se nt my e ma il o n the da y o f the flo o ds. I ne ve r g o t a re spo nse . And e ve ryo ne te lls me tha t (na me ) is g re a t a t re spo nding … And I think tha t is: is tha t b e c a use he ’ s b usy with a ll the flo o ds… T ha t ma ke s me fe e l a g a in, tha t I ’ m ta king up his time with this (intimida tio n fro m e x pa rtne r).”

DOME ST I C ABUSE AS AN ONGOI NG, COMPL E X F AMI L Y RE L AT I ONSHI P “… And he c o mmitte d fra ud a g a inst my mum b y ma nipula ting my mo ve me nts b y o rde ring thing s in his na me o ff my mum’ s a c c o unts a nd b ring ing the m to my ho use .” “…I ’ ve a c tua lly b e e n living o ff just my c hild ta x c re dits fo r we e ks o n e nd, so tha t’ s sixty po unds a we e k, plus my c hild b e ne fit, twe nty po und a we e k, a nd c o uldn’ t c la im unive rsa l c re dit b e c a use I do n’ t ha ve a b a nk a c c o unt. And why do n’ t I ha ve a b a nk a c c o unt? Be c a use o f him.” “… I c a n’ t e ve n c la im a b e ne fit b e c a use o f him” “He ’ s a n a dult no t a c hild. He sho uld kno w, do n’ t hurt mummy, do n’ t ta ke mummy fo r g ra nte d. Do n’ t g o into mummy’ s b a nk a c c o unt a nd ta ke a ll he r mo ne y o ut a nd the n o pe n c re dit c a rds up in he r na me . Do n’ t thre a te n mummy’ s fa mily – b e c a use g o o d pa re nts do n’ t do tha t.”