UK firearms under debate: partners to get a say in licenses?

January 17, 2013 at 11:27 am | Posted in Domestic Violence, Firearms, Gun law | Leave a comment

Domestic violence has come under specific attention in the news today, as Theresa May has suggested that those applying for gun licenses should be asked to prove that their current or recent partners have consented to the application. The home secretary noted that it is inappropriate for those with a history of domestic violence to own guns and the check may reduce the risk to victims.

These comments were presented in a letter written to MPs, which was sent soon after the recent Newtown massacre but not published until Wednesday. Whilst the tragic event has re-opened fierce debate on US gun controls, Mrs May said that the government is working together with the Association of Chief Police Officers about how to strengthen guidance on how domestic violence should be treated in regards to police considering firearms applications.

She acknowledged that whilst each case will be considered separately, the guidance will make it clear that it is not appropriate to issue a firearm certificate to anyone with a history or successive reports of domestic abuse.

This practice is something which is already seen in Canada, where spouses or recent ex-spouses are asked to sign gun license application forms. If they decline to do so, there will be additional checks.

However, some early reactions have been that involving partners and recent ex-partners in the application process may put them at risk of renewed abuse, or in a further position of vulnerability. It must also be considered that the partner may sign the form to ensure their safety at that moment, without a thought for their future safety. Furthermore, a decision to refuse to sign the form may bring about further violence.

 

Could this process work in protecting victims of domestic abuse from firearms?

Study shows elderly domestic abuse is a big issue.

January 17, 2013 at 11:07 am | Posted in Domestic Violence, Elderly people, Law | Leave a comment

At i-docServe, we process orders for people from all walks of life and that includes all age ranges. However, domestic violence against elderly victims is something that is perhaps less acknowledged than that against younger generations. This is something that authorities in Somerset are aiming to change, with particular focus upon increasing the visibility of domestic abuse in the over 50s.

This report from the BBC describes personal cases which show that older victims are possibly more likely to tolerate domestic abuse because they have been conditioned to do so. The charity North Somerset Against Domestic Violence have released the statistic that at least one case of domestic abuse in the over 50s is seen a week. This rather shocking data has prompted further charities, such as Chapter One, to look into whether the services offered are fit to this purpose.

The study carried out by Chapter One showed that older people are particularly less likely to report violence, as domestic abuse has not been viewed as a crime for very long. One victim stated that “my age group has no financial independence and they’ve invested time and had a family – they’ve got to walk away from everything and that’s what traps them”. The study further discussed the possible reasons for domestic abuse at an older age, with the mental and physical changes associated with aging itself presenting as factors which put pressure on relationships.

In Somerset, those elderly victims that need to leave the family home are being offered self-contained ground-floor flats, as it is acknowledged that they need their own space. Members of staff check in on them regularly and offer help.

Is domestic abuse in the elderly something that authorities throughout the country should look into? 

Police tackle domestic violence over Christmas

December 11, 2012 at 4:01 pm | Posted in Children, Christmas, Domestic Violence, Law, Young People | 2 Comments
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As the festive season approaches, police across the country are launching campaigns aimed towards tackling domestic violence. In previous years it has become clear that domestic abuse is a significant problem over Christmas, with violent incidents in the home rising by approximately 20% at this time of year according to Hampshire Constabulary.

Agencies give prolonged family time, increased debt and high levels of alcohol consumption as possible reasons for such a high increase. Charities such as ‘Refuge’ acknowledge that Christmas can be a particularly difficult time of year for those experiencing domestic violence. The many campaigns being launched over the festive period aim to raise awareness about domestic violence, aswell as encouraging victims to seek help.

Cllr Greenall, in this article for West Lancashire Police, said “Christmas can be particularly stressful for people living with violent partners because the family are together for an extended period, or the alcohol is flowing, which can intensify abuse. Often they will not leave over the festive season because they don’t want to ruin Christmas. As a result, the New Year is always a busy time as victims seek help. Therefore, we want our campaign to raise awareness and show victims that there is support out there if they need it”.

There has also been a significant focus upon the effects of domestic violence on children throughout these Christmas campaigns. An example of this is the ‘Letter to Santa’ campaign developed by the Violence Reduction Unit and the Children 1st charity. Chief Inspector Graham Goulden, who heads the campaign, acknowledged that Christmas is a peak period for domestic abuse incidents. This means that children in violent homes often witness abuse or become victims themselves. Children should look forward to Christmas every year but it is easy to forget that for some children, it is a time of fear.

 

 

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More than 30% of domestic violence victims are male.

October 2, 2012 at 2:26 pm | Posted in Domestic Violence, Men | 1 Comment
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Many of the orders we receive in relation to domestic abuse are instigated by a female victim. It is, however, very important to note that it is not only women who become victims of abuse. Research shows that roughly 30% of domestic violence involves a man being abused by a woman. In fact, one in six men will become a victim of domestic abuse in their lifetime but evidence suggests that the issue far more widespread than the figures show.

Since domestic violence became more of an issue in the late 60s and early 70s, government policy and funding has tended to focus predominantly on women as the victims. This is still largely the case, although many studies show that there is a substantial level of male victimisation. The polarisation of has resulted in a lack of resources for the needs of male victims, but this has started to become addressed recently. Unfortunately though there is still quite a lack of support services and information about those services that do exist for male victims of domestic abuse.

Although the experiences of male and female victims are extremely similar, male victims have been seen to have a greater reluctance to report what is happening for fear of disbelief or ridicule. Aswell as this, there is a highlighted risk of isolation as nearly half of male victims who reported abuse against them were then excluded from the family home and many lost meaningful or any contact with their children who usually remained with the violent mother.

An example of the extent to which male victims will refuse to seek help can be seen in such stories as that of Ian McNicholl, which can be read here.

At i-docServe Ltd we believe that domestic violence is unacceptable and should not be tolerated regardless of whether the victim is male or female.

 

What is domestic violence?

October 2, 2012 at 10:51 am | Posted in Domestic Violence | Leave a comment
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At i-docServe Ltd, we process a large number of domestic violence based court orders, such as Non-Molestation and Prohibited Steps orders to prevent communication between the perpetrators and victims of abuse. Because of this it is really important that we are fully aware of what domestic abuse entails and how it affects society as a whole, in order to highlight the importance and urgency of each and every case.

Though domestic abuse comprises a number of different behaviours, there is no single crime entitled “domestic violence”. Many of the behaviours are criminal offences, however, and these have increased following the recent change in the definition of domestic abuse. This can include harassment, assault, criminal damage, sexual assault or false imprisonment amongst other actions. Successful prosecutions for domestic violence cases are at their highest, rising to 91,000 cases a year. The conviction rate now stands at 73% compared to 69% in 2007-08. Unfortunately though, not all forms of domestic abuse are illegal, particularly emotional abuse. Nevertheless this can have just as much of an impact upon a person’s well-being.

Aswell as greatly affecting individuals, domestic violence also costs society £23 billion per year. This is comprised of a £3.1 billion cost to the state, a £1.3 billion cost to employers and a £17 billion human suffering cost. These statistics are however recognised as an under-estimate, as public services do not collect information on the cost of their services as a direct result of domestic violence.

Though it is a much hidden crime, domestic violence is very common. Research has shown that it can affect as many as one in four women in their lifetimes and roughly 30% of domestic violence cases involve male victims. Domestic violence accounts for between 16% and one quarter of all recorded violent crime.

In any one year, there are 13 million separate incidents of physical violence or threats of violence against woman alone from partners or former partners. This shows just how prevalent a crime domestic abuse, considering that so much of it is still hidden and unreported.

 

All statistics in this post have been found at the following website.

Definition of domestic abuse widened to include coercive control and under 18s

September 21, 2012 at 3:29 pm | Posted in Domestic Violence, Young People | 1 Comment

Home Secretary Theresa May has announced a shake-up of the definition of domestic abuse. Under the change, domestic abuse will now be widened in order to include a range of coercive and threatening behaviours. This will see people who bully their partners with verbal abuse, control of their finances or isolation from their loved ones being prosecuted alongside those who commit physical violence.

Under the new definition, victims of domestic abuse aged 16 and 17 will also be recognised for the first time. This change in the view of domestic abuse aims to increase awareness that young people do experience domestic violence. This follows on from the Teenage Relationship Abuse campaign, which we blogged about here.
The new definition of domestic violence and abuse now states:

“Any incident or patterns of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality. This can encompass but is not limited to the following types of abuse – psychological, physical, sexual, financial, and emotional.”

This means that acts such as preventing partners from leaving the house, or demanding control of their finances, can now lead to prosecution. These changes, which will be implemented in March 2013, follow calls from local authorities, police and voluntary organisations.

However, it is important to note that domestic violence is still not a specific criminal offence. This will not change, but the new definition may avoid agencies making too narrow an interpretation of domestic abuse and letting some perpetrators go. One victim who spoke to the BBC anonymously said that had the new guidelines been in force while she was suffering, she may have sought help earlier, stating that “if I was more aware that I was suffering the psychological abuse and emotional abuse, I may have been more able to see what was going on and get the help I needed for me and the children much sooner”.
Whilst many think that these amendments are fundamental in helping to raise awareness and enable effective prevention,some lawyers and campaigners have questioned how effective these changes will be in bringing more cases to court. This is due to the fact that because domestic violence is not an offence in itself, the government are expecting the police to prosecute under the protection from harassment act which is already very much underused.

Corrie’s domestic abuse storyline

September 3, 2012 at 1:55 pm | Posted in Domestic Violence | Leave a comment
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Coronation Street is no stranger to controversial plots and Alan Halsall, who plays Tyrone Dobbs, has taken his recent storyline very seriously. In episodes aired over the spring and summer, Tyrone is assaulted and mentally abused by his girlfriend Kirsty.

Alan has played Tyrone Dobbs for fourteen years, with many storylines easy to relate to his own life. However, with this plot Halsall is at a loss and has done extensive research into the field to make up for it. The actor has taken advice from male domestic violence charities such as Mankind, aswell as meeting a male victim of domestic violence. Speaking of his feelings about the role, he said “when you get these stories to portray, you try to reference it to your own life in some way but there was nothing in this, nothing in my life whatsoever that I could hang it on to”.

Halsall said in an interview that meeting a victim of severe domestic abuse and hearing his story opened his eyes to how someone in such a situation might be feeling at different times. This has led to Halsall portraying Tyrone as reasonable as he usually is in the show, trying to understand why his partner is lashing out and blaming everything from her family circumstances to her pregnancy.

Admitting how the storyline has affected him, Halsall said “even in my wildest imagination, even having spoken to someone, it’s impossible to imagine myself in that position and to be honest, I don’t want to”.

Halsall’s biggest aim, he says, is to do the issue justice throughout the storyline and raise awareness. Male domestic violence is still seen as stigmatic with a certain taboo surrounding it. People are still shocked when those we see as immune to such issues are proven to be victims of abuse. However, one in six men will be a victim of domestic violence in their lifetime.

To find out more information, visit Mankind’s website.

Rihanna breaks silence over Chris Brown assault

September 3, 2012 at 10:19 am | Posted in Celebrities, Domestic Violence | Leave a comment
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Domestic violence is often referred to as a “hidden” crime, because of the personal setting in which it occurs. Many victims of abuse are unknown to the police, or even to their own friends and family. Though this is becoming a more frequently discussed topic in the public domain, particularly within politics and the media, many victims are still unknown to the public eye. This becomes very different, however, when that victim is a celebrity.

Never has a case of domestic violence been quite so publicly played out as that of Rihanna and Chris Brown. Not only was Rihanna attacked by her boyfriend of the time, she had also had her injuries spread across the internet within a fortnight. Even now almost three years on, every detail of her recovery process has been scrutinised across the media.

Rihanna recently gave an interview with Oprah Winfrey, aired on the 19th August that has seen her condemned widely by domestic violence charities. One charity went as far as to say she was “reducing savage attacks to the seriousness reserved for kiss-and-make-up stories in glossy magazines”. Another said she reflected the “sticking-plaster policies” in pop culture’s attitude towards abuse.

In the interview, Rihanna emotionally told Winfrey that she will “always love” Brown and declared that he was the one who needed help, saying “everybody’s gonna say he’s a monster without looking at the source, I was more concerned about him”. Rihanna’s comments were heavily criticised as playing a part in ‘normalizing’ domestic violence and sending a dangerous message to younger fans that roller-coaster relationships are edgy and exciting.

However Vivienne Hayes, the chief executive of the Women’s Resource Centre, has stated that Rihanna’s interview showed many of the complex characteristics of an abusive relationship. It is extremely common for those locked in this kind of relationships to blame themselves. However, her critics believe that Rihanna should be admitting that it was Brown’s choice to attack her, instead of shouldering the responsibility herself.

Brown has also been seen previously condemning domestic violence following a childhood of watching his mother being abused by her boyfriend.

What do you think, is Rihanna normalizing domestic violence in her comments about Brown’s abuse?

This is Abuse

August 17, 2012 at 2:23 pm | Posted in Domestic Violence | 1 Comment
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At i-docServe ltd, we process thousands of court orders a year. Throughout those orders, there is a great deal of diversity as to who both the applicants and the victims are. Something we are increasingly seeing is younger people in domestically violent relationships. Whilst there is a substantial field of research in the UK about adult domestic violence, we seem to know very little about the experiences of teenagers in violent intimate relationships.

The small amount of research that has been undertaken in the UK highlights the impact and seriousness on young people’s welfare. Not only are they experiencing violence within an intimate relationship, they are doing so within the critical developmental period of adolescence.

Recently the Home Office issued a campaign targeting this exact issue, titled ‘This is Abuse’. The campaign aimed to inform teenagers about what exactly domestic abuse and sexual abuse are and how you might identify them in your own relationship. It was aimed at both potential victims of abuse and potential perpetrators. The £2million TV, radio, internet and poster campaign aimed to change attitudes in order to stop abuse.

The campaign followed a study by the NSPCC into the prevalence of domestic violence in teenage relationships. It was found that a quarter of girls between 13 and 17 years old had experienced physical violence from a boyfriend, aswell as a third being pressured into sexual acts they did not want.

The statistics are alarming and the NSPCC also noted that there is a high number of young people who view abuse in relationships as normal.

Throughout NSPCC’S research, it was found that 40% of females and 60% of males who have experienced abuse in teenage relationships do not tell anyone. The aim of the campaign therefore, has become to encourage teenagers to come together to tackle the problem.

Find more information about the Home Office ‘This is Abuse’ campaign here and share your views about whether campaigns like this have an effect on issues such as domestic violence.

 

 

Domestic Abuse: The Right to Know Legislation

July 17, 2012 at 8:57 am | Posted in Clare's law, Domestic Violence | Leave a comment

Domestic Abuse: The Right to Know Legislation

A pilot scheme is to be trialled after its initial consultation to allow individuals to find out whether or not their partner has a history of domestic violence. The Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme, also known as Clare’s law, will run for a 12-month trial period, during which it will be adopted by four major police forces in Greater Manchester, Gwent, Nottinghamshire and Wiltshire. Clare’s law is to be introduced to protect those who may be in a position where they may suffer from domestic violence whilst using safeguards to reflect Art 8 of the Human Rights Act, The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and The Data Protection Act 1998. The scheme will hopefully empower people to make fully informed decisions on the future of their relationship with regard to their own safety as well as close family members, especially children.

The scheme was petitioned after the murder of Clare Wood by her a boyfriend she had met on facebook. Her father, Michael Brown, subsequently spearheaded the campaign to allow individuals to ask police about a partner’s history. This quickly gained the backing of the home secretary Theresa May and a year later trials begin.

Under existing legislation the police forces in England and Wales may only notify people of what may be potential violent partners in certain circumstances. Under the “Right to Know” scheme applications could be made from not only family members and friends, but also neighbours on behalf of someone if they have a fear they may be at risk. This fear must be reasonable, and the relationship must also be intimate, which may lead to a grey area in the applications. Some believe that this scheme may lead to people being able to obtain information in order to spy or snoop on their family, friends or neighbours, but accordingly proper safeguards will filter out false claims.

Some commentators have suggested that the role of the police in the scheme is vital. Their cooperation will tip the balance in not only making the information available to concerned applicants but also gaining trust from victims. If the police refuse to give out information when it is honestly needed or gives it out in false claims, there may be a loss of trust in the scheme by the public.

A key issue with the scheme is whether it will just be another bureaucratic layer that only adds to administrative procedures within the police force. Some critics, including Refuge, feel that specialist training for officers will allow them to act more appropriately with victims of domestic abuse. Domestic abuse accounted for 115 murders in 2010; 94 women and 21 men were murdered by either current or previous spouses, boyfriends or girlfriends. This scheme is another step closer to reducing the numbers of domestic abuse cases annually by preventing them from ever happening in the first instance.

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