A consultation with young people about the impact of domestic

A consultation with young people about the impact of domestic
violence (abuse) in their families and their formative relationships
Ellie McCoy
April 2011
Lisa Jones
Zara Quigg
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank the following people for their assistance with and participation in
this research:
The staff and young people who participated in the focus groups;
Gill Chadwick and the young people at the NSPCC
Marie Wallenfang and the young people at the Central Youth Club and the Children’s Centre
Paul Huston and the young people at NACRO, The Elms
Rachel England, Tony Rigby, Robert Bridge, Donna McAnallen and the young people at the Youth
Offending Service
Tracy Ramsey and the young people at the Bronte Youth Club
Joanne Wormald and the young people at In Training
Clair Heaviside, Elaine Kinsella and the young people at Toxteth TV
Rosemary Pritchard, Tracy Mathias and the young people at St John Bosco Arts College
Julie Smith and the young people at the Unity Youth Club
Raichenda Thompson and the young people at Broughton Hall High School
The staff at the Centre for Public Health, Liverpool John Moores University: Jim McVeigh, Amanda
Atkinson, Geoff Bates, Simon Russell, Layla English, Emma Pemberton, Clare Heraty and Lee Tisdall.
Liverpool John Moores University students on placement at Citysafe: Kerryann Lawrence, Andrea
Thompson and Corey Edwardson
Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA): Kerry Dowling; IDVA.
A special thank you to Michelle Lesbirel-Jones; Citysafe and the Task and Finish Group: Maria Curran;
Citysafe, Jason Mather; NSPCC, Carolyn Welsh; NSPCC, Julie Aitchison; Alt Valley Neighbourhood
Management Services, Liz Berry; Youth Offending Service, Phil McEwan; Merseyside Police and Paul
Ainsworth; Ariel Trust.
i
Table of Contents
Executive Summary................................................................................................................................. 1
1
2
3
4
Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 4
1.1
Definitions and prevalence of domestic abuse....................................................................... 4
1.2
Young people .......................................................................................................................... 7
1.3
Policy ....................................................................................................................................... 8
1.4
Research aims and objectives ................................................................................................. 9
Methods ........................................................................................................................................ 10
2.1
Recruitment strategy ............................................................................................................ 10
2.2
Focus groups ......................................................................................................................... 10
2.3
Questionnaires ...................................................................................................................... 11
2.4
Ethical issues ......................................................................................................................... 11
Findings ......................................................................................................................................... 13
3.1
Participant demographics ..................................................................................................... 13
3.2
Focus groups – qualitative findings....................................................................................... 15
3.2.1
What is domestic violence? .......................................................................................... 15
3.2.2
Who does it happen to?................................................................................................ 15
3.2.3
Does it happen to males? ............................................................................................. 17
3.2.4
Do drugs and alcohol make it worse? ........................................................................... 18
3.2.5
The media...................................................................................................................... 18
3.2.6
Control .......................................................................................................................... 20
3.2.7
Is abuse ever acceptable in a relationship? .................................................................. 23
3.2.8
Family ............................................................................................................................ 24
3.2.9
Advice ............................................................................................................................ 25
3.2.10
Have you given advice? ................................................................................................. 28
3.2.11
How have they learnt about domestic abuse so far? ................................................... 28
3.2.12
Domestic abuse programme for young people: what they want ................................. 29
Discussion...................................................................................................................................... 34
4.1
Summary of findings ............................................................................................................. 34
4.2
Research limitations.............................................................................................................. 36
ii
4.3
Further research ................................................................................................................... 37
5
Conclusions and recommendations .............................................................................................. 38
6
References .................................................................................................................................... 40
7
Appendices .................................................................................................................................... 43
Appendices
Appendix 1. Carer participant information sheet and consent form ................................................... 43
Appendix 2. Young persons’ participant information sheet and consent form ................................... 47
Appendix 3. Questionnaire ................................................................................................................... 50
Appendix 4. Focus group plan............................................................................................................... 50
List of tables
Table 1: Numbers invited and attended by organisation ..................................................................... 13
Table 2: Age of participants by gender ................................................................................................ 14
Table 3: Ethnicity of participants .......................................................................................................... 14
List of boxes
Box 1. Summary of recommendations ................................................................................................... 3
Box 2. Definitions of domestic abuse...................................................................................................... 4
List of figures
Figure 1: Power and control wheel ......................................................................................................... 5
iii
Executive Summary
Domestic abuse (often referred to as Intimate Partner Violence) is a recognised global public health
concern. It is often defined as behaviour that involves physical, psychological or sexual harm within
an intimate relationship and can also include youth violence, child maltreatment, elder abuse and
sexual violence. Domestic abuse can also occur within the family; the Department of Health
estimates that 750,000 children experience domestic abuse annually.
Research examining domestic abuse tends to focus on adult relationships; however it is important to
consider young people and their relationships. Adolescence is an important time as this is often
when people begin to form intimate and formative relationships. It is therefore an essential stage for
initiating domestic abuse prevention work. There is a body of UK research on adult female’s
experiences, and a smaller amount on children’s experiences, but little is known about adolescent’s
experiences of partner violence and the research that has been conducted tends to originate from
the USA. Research suggests that it is essential to include this through detailed examination of young
people’s views and experiences in order to recognise young people’s views and actions in their own
right.
The Coalition Government has recently launched a paper ‘A call to end violence against women and
girls’ outlining how they plan to tackle violence against females, with the vision of creating a society
in which no female should have to live in fear of violence. Domestic abuse is also a priority locally. In
Liverpool, Citysafe (Liverpool’s Community Safety Partnership) prioritises a number of key issues to
tackle, one of which is to reduce serious violence, which includes domestic abuse, and to develop an
understanding of the issues young people feel affect them in relation to domestic abuse. Citysafe
therefore commissioned the Centre for Public, Liverpool John Moores University, to undertake a
consultation, to speak with young people around their views and experiences of domestic abuse.
The objectives of the research were:
•
to learn what the issues are for young people in relation to domestic violence (abuse);
•
to understand how young people view domestic violence (abuse) (in all its forms) in family
and intimate partner relationships; and
•
to use the findings from the project to inform an education programme through ‘It’s Not
Okay’.
A qualitative study was undertaken to fulfil the research objectives through a series of focus groups
with young people. Agencies across Liverpool providing services to young people were contacted
and a total of 119 young people aged between 14 and 24 years were invited to attend the focus
groups. Each focus group lasted approximately one hour and was conducted by two researchers.
Verbal and written consent was obtained to digitally record each focus group session, and the young
people were asked to complete a basic demographic questionnaire.
1
In total, 93 young people attended the 14 focus groups. Just over half of participants were male
(n=52, 55.9%) with the majority aged 16 and 17 years (n=22 and n=25 respectively). The majority
defined their ethnicity as White English (n=72, 77.4%). However minority groups were represented.
Ten percent of participants stated that they had a disability. Almost a third (30.1%, n=28) stated they
had religious beliefs, 43.0% (n=40) stated that they had no religious beliefs and 26.9% (n=25)
preferred not to say. The majority of the young people stated their sexual orientation as
Heterosexual (n=70, 75.3%), 17.2% (n=17) preferred not to answer and 7.5% (n=7) stated their
sexual orientation as Bisexual, Gay or Lesbian.
Overall, the young people involved in the consultation had a good understanding of what domestic
abuse is, they could state different types of abuse and who they thought it could happen to. They
recognised that it could involve physical, psychological and sexual abuse. In acknowledging these
different forms of abuse, the young people felt it should be referred to as domestic abuse rather
than domestic violence. At all groups the young people acknowledged that domestic abuse can
occur within the family and they placed an emphasis on it being something happening within a
house, hence the word domestic. They believed domestic abuse could happen to anyone; however
they felt that it is portrayed as happening more often to women. Young people viewed domestic
abuse at home as having devastating effects on children; leaving them scared and affected by their
experiences into later life. Although participants believed that the effects in adulthood largely
depended on the person and how they handled their experiences. It was discussed that children
affected by domestic abuse could become perpetrators and victims themselves when in adult
relationships, however, the young people also acknowledged that witnessing domestic abuse could
make you more determined to not act in this manner yourself.
The young people’s knowledge appeared to be gained from what they had seen on TV and from
their own personal and friends’ experiences. Not many of the young people had been given any
formal training or teaching on the subject, although many of them thought it would be beneficial to
have learnt about it. Although there was good knowledge on some areas of domestic abuse, there
did appear to be a lack of awareness around the more subtle aspects, such as controlling behaviour.
Many of the young people did not see certain controlling behaviours as abusive. The young people
also demonstrated a lack of knowledge about where to go for advice; many were not aware of any
domestic abuse services and many would not go to a professional for help. Therefore, it appeared
that most young people would rather seek support from someone they know or are comfortable
with, rather than access a website, ring a help line or speak to a stranger.
Learning about domestic abuse was viewed as important and school was thought to be the best
setting in which to teach it. The young people expressed preferences on programme content and
length; they thought domestic abuse issues should be covered in lessons over a number of weeks
and that programmes should incorporate all aspects of domestic abuse, not just the physical
violence aspects. Young people expressed mixed views on whether they should be taught about
healthy relationships. Some young people thought this was essential whereas others thought you
could not teach young people how to have good relationships. Interactive material and activities
2
such as group discussions, DVDs and talks by people affected by domestic abuse were viewed as
approaches that would help them learn most effectively and felt that a programme should be
realistic and modern in order to hold their attention and allow them to speak freely.
Box 1. Summary of recommendations
Based on the findings of the consultation the following recommendations have been
made:
•
There is a need for formal training and/or teaching on domestic abuse among young
people in Liverpool. A programme addressing domestic abuse issues relevant to
young people should be implemented.
•
In order to provide an evidence base to inform the development of a programme
addressing domestic abuse issues, a review of the effects of domestic abuse
programmes should be conducted.
•
The more subtle aspects of abuse, such as controlling behaviour, should be a focus
of future programmes and domestic violence materials.
•
A scoping exercise should be conducted to compile a list of relevant support
agencies and advice routes for young people.
•
Local responses to the Government’s strategy to tackle violence against women and
girls should incorporate the findings from this consultation and ensure that young
people’s views are considered.
•
Young people should be given opportunities to speak freely about domestic abuse
and to have their views heard. Steps should also be taken to ensure that young
people are involved in future work relating to domestic abuse, especially when
there are plans to develop or implement programmes and/or materials targeted
towards young people.
3
1
Introduction
1.1 Definitions and prevalence of domestic abuse
Domestic abuse (often referred to as Intimate Partner Violence) is a recognised global public health
concern (Krug, 2002). It is often defined as behaviour that includes physical, psychological or sexual
harm within an intimate relationship (Krug, 2002) and can also include youth violence, child
maltreatment, elder abuse and sexual violence (Bellis et al., 2006). However, definitions often refer
specifically to intimate partner relationships and females. Violence against women is defined as:
‘Any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or mental
harm or suffering to women (WHO). There are many forms of violence against women, including
sexual, physical, or emotional abuse by an intimate partner; physical or sexual abuse by family
members or others; sexual harassment and abuse by authority figures (such as teachers, police
officers or employers); trafficking for forced labour or sex; and such traditional practices as forced or
child marriages, dowry-related violence; and honour killings’ (WHO, 2009b).
The World Health Organisation has adopted the following definitions:
Box 2. Definitions of domestic abuse
‘Physical violence - a woman has been: slapped, or had something thrown at her; pushed,
shoved, or had her hair pulled; hit with a fist or something else that could hurt; choked or
burnt; threatened with or had a weapon used against her
Sexual violence - a woman has been: physically forced to have sexual intercourse; had
sexual intercourse because she was afraid of what her partner might do; or forced to do
something sexual she found degrading or humiliating. Though recognized as a serious and
pervasive problem
Emotional violence - does not yet have a widely accepted definition, but includes, for
example, being humiliated or belittled; being scared or intimidated purposefully
Intimate-partner violence (domestic violence) - a woman has encountered any of the
above types of violence, at the hands of an intimate partner or ex partner; this is one of the
most common and universal forms of violence experienced by women’ (WHO, 2005a).
4
Emotional abuse can include control of a partner; the Duluth model’s power and control wheel
depicts abuse as controlling the partner’s actions, which is part of a consistent pattern of behaviour.
The wheel was developed in 1984 using the experiences of female victims of abuse in Duluth, and is
now used world-wide (Duluth power and control wheel, 2011).
Figure 1: Power and control wheel
Source: Created by the Domestic Abuse Intervention Project, Duluth, Minnesota
5
Domestic abuse can cause severe health and social consequences, including injuries (Wu, 2010) and
death (Povey, 2008), and emotional consequences, including anxiety, depression or post traumatic
stress disorder. Factors known to be associated with domestic abuse include interpersonal
dependency or jealousy, attitudes that excuse violence and lack of empathy (Gilchrist, 2003) and
alcohol use, which is known to increase the risk of domestic abuse, as a perpetrator and victim
(WHO, 2006). Gender norms within society can create gender inequalities and often inequalities in
gender increase the risk of acts of abuse by males against females. Cultural social norms that
tolerate abuse and traditional beliefs (WHO, 2009a) are also considered a factor in making females
vulnerable to abuse by males, for example, the belief that males have a right to control females,
(Ilika, 2005; Mitra, 2007).
The World Health Organization conducted a multi-country study on women’s health and domestic
violence against women (WHO, 2005b). The study used data from 10 countries to uncover patterns
of violence across different countries and cultures to inform national authorities to design policies
and programmes to help deal with the problem of domestic abuse. The percentage of women
reporting physical or sexual violence by their partners, or both, in their lifetime varied from 15% (in
one city in Japan) to 71% (in a province of Ethiopia) (WHO, 2005b). In 2009/10, England had over one
million female victims of domestic abuse, and in the UK one in four females experience domestic
abuse at some point during their lifetime (Flatley, 2010). The vast majority of these violent acts are
perpetrated by males. In 2009/10, females were the victim of over 70% of incidents of domestic
abuse (Flatley, 2010). At least one in five females in the UK will experience sexual assault and one in
five will experience stalking in their lifetime (Flatley, 2010). The majority of interventions focus on
supporting females experiencing violence. Fewer interventions and research focus on support for
male victims of partner abuse (Wood, 2010). However one in six of males will experience domestic
abuse in their lifetime (Walker, 2009).
Domestic abuse can also occur within the family; according to the British Crime Survey 2009/10
(Flatley, 2010), non sexual family domestic abuse, although not as prevalent as partner abuse, does
occur, with two percent of females and one percent of males (aged 16 to 59) reporting experiencing
this form abuse in the previous year. The Department of Health estimates that 750,000 children
experience domestic abuse annually (DH, 2002). An NSPCC prevalence study of children experiencing
domestic abuse found that 26% of 18 to 24 years olds had lived with abuse between their
parents/carers (Cawson, 2002). Children can be affected in many ways from living with domestic
abuse. Although some children may turn to people for support, they are likely to be affected by the
fear, disruption and distress in their lives. Children can show distress in various ways, for example,
through physical, emotional, learning, behavioural or developmental problems and their educational
performance and achievement may also be affected (Mullender, 2004). A meta-analysis of 118
studies of psychosocial outcomes of children exposed to domestic abuse showed that there was a
significant association between exposure to domestic abuse and childhood problems (Kitzmann,
2003). Witnessing or experiencing domestic abuse as a child is associated with risk of becoming a
victim or perpetrator in later life (Gil-Gonzalez, 2008; Daigneault, 2009), especially among males
6
(Slovak, 2007). There is also some evidence that families in which child abuse occurs are more likely
to have a history of domestic abuse (Folsom, 2003).
1.2
Young people
Often research examining domestic abuse looks at adult relationships; however it is important to
consider young people and their relationships. Adolescence is an important time as this is often
when people begin to form intimate and formative relationships. It is therefore an essential stage for
initiating domestic abuse prevention work (Schutt, 2006).
Partner violence between adolescents is an understudied area of maltreatment in the UK (Hickman
et al., 2004). There is a body of UK research on adult females experiences, and a smaller amount on
children’s experiences (Mullender et al., 2002; Hester et al., 2006), but little is known about
adolescent’s experiences of partner violence (Barter 2009a) and the research that has been
conducted tends to originate from the USA. Barter (2009a) argues that it is essential to include this
through detailed examination of young people’s views and experiences in order to recognise young
people’s views and actions in their own right (James et al., 1998; Mullender et al., 2002).
A report from the University of Bristol and the NSPCC was the first UK research to explore the issue
of partner abuse in adolescent intimate relationships (Barter 2009b). The research involved a survey
of 1,353 young people aged 13 to 17 from eight schools in England, Scotland and Wales, with a
further 91 in-depth interviews. The findings revealed that females were more likely to report greater
incidence of all forms of abuse, that they experienced abuse more frequently, and that the abuse
had more negative impacts on their welfare. A quarter of females and 18% of males reported a form
of physical abuse and nearly three quarters of females and half of the males reported experiencing a
form of emotional abuse. The research found that younger children, aged 13 to 15, were just as
likely to experience abuse as the young people aged 16 and over. When it came to getting advice,
the majority of the young people informed a friend or kept it to themselves, only a small amount
spoke to an adult. The research also found that young people who had experienced domestic abuse
within the family were more likely to have experienced it within a relationship in later life (Barter
2009b).
A number of UK studies have examined young people’s views and experiences; one study used
interviews and questionnaires to examine views and understandings of domestic abuse with 250
young people aged 14 to 16 from Manchester (Botcherby, 2007). Most of the young people
identified that abuse can be physical, emotional and sexual, and they were able to identify different
types of abuse including: shouting, put downs, name calling and psychological humiliation. They
identified the main perpetrators as male, referring to fathers, stepfathers and boyfriends; however
they did believe females could also be perpetrators of domestic abuse. Between 30% and 65% of
young people thought that people are violent because of the way they had been brought up.
Another study examined awareness and views of abusive behaviour towards women with young
people aged 14 to 18 in Scotland. They found that males had a more pro-violent stance than females;
however females were more likely to report inflicting verbal emotional abuse than males. Schutt
(2006) carried out a study with young people in Southwark, London to examine young people’s
7
experiences with unhealthy relationships and reported that young people had a good knowledge of
what a healthy relationship should consist of. However they also reported that the young people
lacked knowledge on what to do to help a friend in an abusive relationship. The young people
reported experiencing both physical and emotional abuse, but reported that emotional abuse was
more common amongst their peers. They were also able to identify different forms of abuse and
identify why people remain in unhealthy relationships.
1.3 Policy
The Coalition Government has recently launched a strategy ‘A call to end violence against women
and girls’ outlining how they plan to tackle violence against females, with the vision to have a society
in which no female should have to live in fear of violence (Home Office, 2011). In the strategic vision
to end violence against women and girls, the Government has committed to £28m (in total) of stable
Home Office funding for specialist services over the next four years to improve the response to rape
and provide more training for staff and agencies and early intervention programmes, new powers
and better support for victims.
'No level of violence against women and girls is acceptable in modern Britain or anywhere else in the
world.' Theresa May, Home Secretary (Home Office, 2011).
The paper was launched to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against
Women; the main aims are to:
•
Prevent violence by challenging attitudes and behaviours through early intervention
•
Provide support for victims of violence
•
Work in partnership to obtain the best outcomes for victims and their families
•
Take action to reduce risk to women and girls
•
To ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice
Domestic abuse is also a priority locally through Citysafe, Liverpool’s statutory Community Safety
Partnership (CSP). Their annual plan for 2010/11 (Liverpool City Council, 2010) prioritises a number
of key issues to tackle, one of which is to reduce serious violence, which includes domestic abuse.
Actions for 2010/11 include:
•
To develop an understanding of the issues young people feel affect them in relation to
domestic violence (abuse) (through a consultation with young people)
•
Continued development of the Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC)
•
To implement Social marketing campaigns
•
To develop support services for victims and witnesses of domestic violence (abuse)
•
To develop a Domestic Violence (Abuse) Reduction Strategy – Action Plan
8
1.4 Research aims and objectives
Citysafe commissioned the Centre for Public, Liverpool John Moores University, to undertake a
consultation, to speak with young people around their views and experiences of domestic abuse.
The objectives of the consultation were to:
•
Learn what the issues are for young people in relation to domestic violence (abuse),
•
Understand how young people view domestic violence (abuse) (in all its forms) in family and
intimate partner relationships, and
•
Use the learning from the project to inform an education programme through ‘It’s Not Okay’.
9
2
Methods
The methodology was designed to meet the objectives of the consultation by providing a broad
understanding of young people’s views on domestic abuse. A qualitative study was undertaken to
fulfil the research objectives through a series of focus groups with young people. To facilitate
successful completion of the work, the project team worked closely with the Task and Finish group;
established by Citysafe to oversee and support the project.
2.1 Recruitment strategy
Agencies across Liverpool providing services to young people were contacted. Agencies were
identified through contacts already established at Citysafe and the Centre for Public Health, and by
conducting a scoping exercise to identify other services. The lead researcher went out to meet with
each agency that expressed an interest, to provide more information and set up the focus groups.
The researcher liaised with a main contact from each service to recruit the young people. The aim
was to ensure that participants represented each of the neighbourhood management areas 1; those
in education; those missing from education or home and/or absent from care; teenage parents;
those known to the criminal justice services; Black and other Racial Minority Communities; the
Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Communities; and young people living with families where
domestic violence occurs.
Parental/carer participant information sheets and consent forms (see Appendix 1) were developed
and provided to the agency contact to send out to parents of any young people aged under 16
(however some services requested parental consent for all young people). A participant information
sheet (see Appendix 2) was also developed for the young people and given to the services to provide
the young people with information on the research before they agreed to take part.
2.2 Focus groups
One hundred and nineteen young people aged between 14 and 24 years were invited to attend the
focus groups. Fourteen focus groups were held with the capacity of 10-15 young people at each
group, a total of 93 young people attended across the 14 groups. Each focus group was attended by
two researchers, one to lead the discussion and the other to take notes. At the beginning of each
focus group, the researcher gave a verbal description of the aim of the focus group, emphasised the
confidentiality policy and discussed some basic protocols that participants should follow (for
example, speaking one at a time). Participants were also provided with a participant information
sheet and asked to sign a consent form (see Appendix 2). Verbal and written consent was obtained
to digitally record each focus group session and parental/care consent forms were collected. The
participant information sheet also provided a list of numbers and websites of domestic abuse
services/support in case any of the young people wanted any further advice. The young people were
also asked to complete a basic demographic questionnaire (see Appendix 3) at the beginning of each
1
The five Neighbourhood Management Areas in Liverpool are: Alt Valley, Liverpool East, South Central, South Liverpool
and City and North.
10
group. Discussion topics were guided by the lead researcher who utilised a discussion guide. Food
was provided at each focus group and each group lasted approximately one hour and each
participant received a £5 high street shopping voucher in recompense for their participation. The
two groups at the Youth Offending Service (YOS) did not receive vouchers due to YOS policies.
All participants were given the opportunity to speak to the researchers privately and given the
opportunity to record private comments after the group sessions have been completed. Support
measures were also provided at each focus group. Young people attending the groups could utilise
the expertise of an Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (young people; IDVA), who either
attended the groups or her contact details were made available, should anyone wish to speak to her.
Focus groups were digitally transcribed, allowing for the session to be transcribed and analysed.
Demographic data were input into the statistical package SPSS which allowed a quantitative analysis
to be undertaken. Thematic analysis (Krippendoff, 1980; Braun and Clarke, 2006) of the discussions
allowed the identification of twelve themes.
2.3 Questionnaires
A questionnaire was developed using the Liverpool John Moores University Equality and Diversity
form. The questionnaire was anonymous and collected data on age, sex, ethnicity, disability, religion
and sexual orientation. The young people were asked to complete the questionnaire at the
beginning of each focus group. Age, sex and ethnicity were included as essential fields, however the
young people were given the option ‘prefer not to say’ for other fields.
2.4 Ethical issues
Ethical approval from Liverpool John Moores University Research and Ethics Committee was sought
and granted. All data was held in accordance with Liverpool John Moores University Data Protection
Policy (LJMU, 2008). All participants received a participant information sheet and had the research
explained to them verbally and written informed consent was obtained. All participants were 14
years or older, parental consent was sought for those under 16 years of age and the principle of
Gillick/Fraser competence was adhered to, i.e. young people aged 16 and 17 years old were able to
consent for themselves providing they fully understand what was being asked of them (Department
of Health, 2001). Furthermore, the Centre for Public Health’s Child Protection Policy was strictly
adhered to (Woolfall et al., 2009). The Centre for Public Health also complies with Liverpool John
Moores University’s ‘Child Protection protocol’ (April 2007). This protocol was written in accordance
with the document ‘Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education (DfES, 2006). All work
complied with the British Psychological Society’s Ethical Guidelines (2006), and proceeded according
to Fraser and Department of Health (Seeking consent: working with children, 2001) guidelines. All
research staff involved in the focus groups had Criminal Records Bureau clearance for working with
young people.
This project included questions about sensitive topics to groups of vulnerable young people and
therefore the protection of the participants was of great importance. Members of the research team
met with staff from each organisation prior to commencement of fieldwork to discuss appropriate
11
protection and support for participants and utilised the support of the Independent Domestic
Violence Advisor (IDVA) and specialist advice provided by the NSPCC. It was also made clear that the
research team could not offer absolute guarantees of confidentiality where a young person’s welfare
was concerned.
12
3
Findings
3.1 Participant demographics
In total, 14 focus group sessions were conducted. The participation in the focus groups is detailed
below:
Table 1: Numbers invited and attended by organisation
No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
-
Organisation
NSPCC
Central Youth Club
NACRO
Youth Offending Service 1
Bronte Youth Club
Children’s Centre
In Training 1
Toxteth TV
St John Bosco
In Training 2
Unity Youth Club 1
Unity Youth Club 2
Broughton Hall
Youth Offending Service 2
Total
No. Invited
4
6
6
10
10
5
10
10
12
5
11
13
10
7
119
No. Attended
2
2
5
5
2
3
11
9
11
9
4
10
13
7
93
Reasons for non involvement included: no replies; agencies that were interested but didn't have any
young people within the age range; agencies interested but replied after the recruitment period; and
agencies interested but could not take part due to prior commitments. Two groups scheduled to
take part had to be cancelled due to other commitments. One agency wanted to take part, however
the agency was NHS funded and the ethical approval sought for the consultation did not extend to
patients and users of the NHS, for which ethical approval from the NHS is required. Another reason
given when recruiting was the concern that the subject may be too sensitive.
In total, 93 young people attended the 14 focus groups and just over half were male (n=52, 55.9%)
(females, n=41, 44.1%).The young people were aged between 14 and 23, with the majority aged 16
and 17 (n=22 and n=25 respectively).
13
Table 2: Age of participants by gender
Age
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
Total
Male
No.
1
1
14
17
7
4
1
4
2
1
52
%
14.3
14.3
63.6
68.0
41.9
80.0
50.0
100.0
66.7
100.0
55.9
Female
No.
%
6
85.7
6
85.7
8
36.4
8
32.0
10
58.8
1
20.0
1
50.0
0
0.0
1
33.3
0
0.0
41
44.1
Total
No.
7
7
22
25
17
5
2
4
3
1
93
%
7.5
7.5
23.7
26.9
18.3
5.4
2.2
4.3
3.2
1.1
100.0 2
The majority defined their ethnicity as White English (n=72, 77.4%). However BME groups were
represented, other ethnicities stated included Black and White British, Irish Egyptian and Yemeni.
Table 3: Ethnicity of participants
Ethnicity
Bangladeshi
African
Black British
White and Asian
White and Black African
White and Black Caribbean
English
Welsh
Other White
Other
Total
Frequency
1
1
4
1
5
3
72
2
1
3
93
Percentage
1.1
1.1
4.3
1.1
5.4
3.2
77.4
2.2
1.1
3.2
100.0 3
Of the 93 young people, 9.7% (n=9) stated that they had a disability, including asthma, autism,
cerebral palsy and a stammer. Almost a third (30.1%, n=28) stated they had religious beliefs,
whereas, 43.0% (n=40) stated that they had no religious beliefs and 26.9% (n=25) preferred not to
say. Religions included Christian (Catholic and Protestant), Muslim and Sikh. The majority of the
young people stated their sexual orientation as Heterosexual (n=70, 75.3%); 17.2% (n=17) preferred
not to answer and 7.5% (n=7) stated their sexual orientation as Bisexual, Gay or Lesbian 4.
2
Total percentage does not equal 100%, due to rounding.
Total percentage does not equal 100%, due to rounding.
4
It was noted that when completing the demographic questionnaire, homophobic language was used during a number of
groups.
3
14
3.2 Focus groups – qualitative findings
3.2.1 What is domestic violence?
The first question at each group asked the young people to define what they thought domestic
abuse was. They were asked to name different types of domestic abuse and who they thought it
could happen to. Overall, the young people provided a broad definition of domestic abuse. The
young people defined domestic abuse as couples arguing, something that happens within a
relationship, child abuse and family related:
‘When one member of a household is violent towards another member’.
Physical violence was always listed first; types included assaults, aggression, hitting someone,
pushing someone and punching. All groups of young people thought that domestic abuse could be
both physical and psychological. When it was referred to as domestic violence, the young people
discussed that it should be referred to as abuse rather than violence as this only includes the
physical aspects. In one case psychological abuse was considered worse:
‘That’s domestic abuse, not domestic violence. It's a different thing to domestic violence and
it’s probably worse, because you can hurt somebody in the head worse than you can hurt
them on the outside, if you know what you are saying or doing, to make them feel bad’.
All groups listed bullying as the main form of psychological abuse, this included bullying partners,
bullying within the household, emotional bullying, cyber bullying and bullying within the local
community. Other types listed included; mental abuse, patronising people, mind control, making
people feel useless, playing with people’s minds, using guilt, not allowing people to leave the house,
undermining confidence and emotional abuse. The majority of the groups also listed sexual abuse, in
particular rape by a partner, or child abuse. All groups listed verbal abuse, insults and name calling;
racism was also listed on a number of occasions. Other forms of abuse included: financially stealing
from a partner; destroying the house or personal objects; intimidating a partner; pressurising a
partner to use drugs; using homophobic language; using things that they know their partner is afraid
of; abuse and threats via social networking/mobile phones; and stalking.
3.2.2 Who does it happen to?
The young people thought that domestic abuse often occurred at home, whether it was in a
relationship or family:
‘Something that happens inside the house, if they live in the same house, domestic means
home, anything that happens in your house is domestic’.
15
The young people mostly listed domestic abuse as something occurring within relationships,
between a male and female; the term ‘wife beater’ was mentioned on several occasions. Quite a few
participants also believed that it happened between families. Forced marriages were also given as an
example by one female. When asked who domestic abuse could happen to, they listed: husbands
and wives; couples; children; pets; mums and dads; and brothers and sisters. They discussed parents
abusing their children, and children abusing their parents. All of the young people thought it was
wrong to hit a parent, in particular their mother:
‘It’s wrong, my mate battered her own mother, it was sick. I literally had to get her, and
batter her and say “don’t do that to your mum you’re a coward” I think that’s just
disgusting’.
The examples given for children being abusive to parents were mostly all physical examples, verbal
examples of abuse were only mentioned once, and seen as acceptable:
‘…known people to call their mum names like “shut up you little sl*g” you know what I mean
that’s your mum, calling names that's just the way it is now, we argue and then we are
alright about half an hour later’.
Parents’ physically hurting their children was also discussed; however it was not believed to always
be a form of abuse, they noted that it could depend on whether the parents were strict and it was a
form of punishment. They also gave examples of witnessing violence between their parents; they
noted that this could be something witnessed, or parents fighting and taking it out on their children.
There were mixed views on whether domestic abuse could occur between brothers and sisters.
Most thought it was not abuse and saw it as day to day arguing and bickering, they believed that
everyone fights with their siblings and that it was a way of life rather than abuse. A small amount of
the young people did think that fighting between siblings was a form of domestic abuse, an example
given involved violence occurring between half siblings living in one household when families came
together. Some saw it as usual sibling arguments going too far. One female commented that siblings
can cause psychological abuse due to mind control. One young person provided an example of their
brother being aggressive and breaking objects within the house. The parents had called the police on
one occasion because they felt they didn’t have another option, it was recalled that this had given
the brother a fright, leading to an end in his violent behaviour. The majority of the young people
didn't have any examples of friends who had experienced domestic abuse within the family when
asked, however examples did come up throughout the sessions. One male recalled fighting with his
stepdad, another male had a friend who’s dad used to hit his mum, one male reported that he had
witnessed his father physically hurt his mother and a female had a friend who was experiencing
violence from her father, but would not report it due to a fear of her parents divorcing and splitting
the family up. A small number of females provided examples of experiencing domestic abuse
16
themselves in previous relationships; they all had children from the relationships and during the
relationship had blamed themselves for the violence:
‘…they only start on you because they have done something wrong and they are just blaming
you, I was thinking is it my fault because of the mind games, after all that with him, that
changed me, it changed who I was’.
3.2.3 Does it happen to males?
All of the young people said that they believed domestic abuse could happen to both males and
females. However they thought it was less common for males to experience it. Quite a few males
laughed at the idea of their girlfriend abusing them; however a few did acknowledge that it is a form
of abuse. All of the young people thought domestic abuse was perceived as worse for females by
others, because they hear mostly about female victims. They also believed it was because males are
seen as stronger than females, often due to the media portraying it that way. All of the young people
believed that males were less likely to report domestic abuse that had happened to them:
‘It doesn’t happen to all men, they are too proud to say it is happening to them, It’s not
reported enough, they have got too much pride, they feel like ashamed don’t they? That they’re
letting a woman do that to them, that’s why they don’t tend to say anything about it because
of ego’.
All of the young people, male and female, agreed that it was harder for males to talk about and get
advice, especially from their male friends due to ‘ego’ and feeling embarrassed. Conversely, it was
believed that females were able to speak to friends because females are more sensitive to the issue.
A large amount of males and a smaller amount of females thought it was more acceptable for a
female to hit a male, and worse for a male to hit a female. The males were asked that if they acted in
self defence who would be blamed. Males thought they would be blamed; this opinion was noted at
all groups:
‘We always get the blame even if you we are just pushing them off we get the blame for it,
people would blame the lad, you’d instantly think it was the lad’s fault’.
Some of the males said they would act out in self defence, whereas the majority of males said they
would not retaliate. A couple of males provided examples of their male friends experiencing physical
violence from their female partners. One male stated that his friend tolerates it because he is scared
of his female partner, they have children together and he is scared of losing his family. Another had
17
a friend who experiences violence once his girlfriend has been drinking alcohol. Another had a friend
who received violence over trivial events:
‘…he came back with the wrong biscuits, she started banging his head against the wall, she
was very controlling’.
3.2.4 Do drugs and alcohol make it worse?
All of the young people stated that they thought alcohol and drugs could make domestic abuse
worse, they believed drugs could make paranoia worse and alcohol could make someone more
aggressive:
‘…he changes into a completely different person and you can see when he is going to change
so you have got to distance yourself’.
They believed that people could use this as an excuse for violent behaviour, and in some cases the
young people believed it could be an excuse, for example you can be ‘heavy handed’ when you are
drunk and do more damage than intended, or act out because of the drink because you are not in
full control of your actions. However, other young people expressed the belief that drug and alcohol
use was no excuse for violence:
‘It’s not a virtual reality when you have had a drink, it’s still you, If they can’t control
themselves when they drink then they shouldn’t get into that state in the first place, it’s an
excuse to not take responsibility for their actions’.
3.2.5 The media
Portrayal of domestic abuse in the media
When asked about examples of domestic abuse in the media, soap operas were the most commonly
identified source. Particular soaps named were Hollyoaks, Emmerdale, Eastenders and Coronation
Street. The most frequently recalled storyline related to physical domestic violence occurring
between a homosexual couple on Hollyoaks. The young people commented that the victim had
himself once been a perpetrator of domestic abuse in a previous heterosexual relationship. Another
frequently mentioned storyline, from Eastenders, was based on a young female, Whitney, being
encouraged into prostitution by her boyfriend, the character had also been abused by her step dad
in a previous storyline. Other storylines mentioned involved self defence in violent relationships,
harassment, rape (of male and female characters), animal cruelty and domestic abuse against males.
It was also noted that the soaps often have a helpline number at the end if domestic abuse is shown;
18
in particular, Eastenders. Other TV programmes noted for covering domestic abuse included
Shameless, the Bill and Casualty. An American animated TV series, Family Guy was also noted as
frequently depicting violent incidents within the family:
‘They are always beating their heads in, it’s a comedy, but it’s still violent isn’t it’.
A TV drama called Secret Smile was recalled as showing the psychological side of domestic abuse.
Talk shows, including Jeremy Kyle, Trisha and Jerry Springer were also mentioned as examples of
domestic abuse covered by the media. Jeremy Kyle was mentioned on a number of occasions; some
people recalled the programme as a method for learning about domestic abuse and another used it
as an example of domestic abuse within the family:
’I was watching Jeremy Kyle the other day and there was this woman who had battered her
mum, battered her own mum over money’.
The recent TV programme about the travelling community ‘My Big Fat Gypsy wedding’ was recalled
at a number of groups. In particular, the practice of ‘grabbing’ females by males. A lot of the young
people believed it was a form of domestic abuse and it was also discussed that the females were not
entitled to an education. Some of the young people felt this was not a form of domestic abuse,
because it is part of the travelling communities’ culture:
‘That’s like a tradition though isn’t it, we don’t judge other traditions but when it comes to
gypsies we judge them, but it’s the way they’ve done it for years and they’re going to
continue it for years. I don't think its violence’.
Other forms of media reported as examples in relation to domestic abuse included music, for
example, a song by Mary J Blige was discussed:
‘It’s proper sick, it’s a 9 year old girl and she is getting battered by her dad and she’s telling
her mum but her mum is taking crack. Then she is going to school and the teachers are
asking her “where are you getting these bruises from?" He says that all in the rap and she
ends up trying to run away’.
The domestic violence case against the singer Rihanna by her partner, another singer, Chris Brown,
was also discussed at numerous groups.
Support adverts
Whilst discussing representations of domestic abuse in the media, the young people discussed any
adverts they had seen providing awareness or advice about domestic abuse. When asked about
adverts for support service, not all of the young people could recall having seen any. The main
19
advert recalled was from a recent Government advertising campaign involving a boyfriend and
girlfriend with a phone. Some of the young people recalled this advert without prompting, and in a
lot of cases the young people could remember this particular advert when prompted. The young
people felt this advert was particularly useful, as it didn't show violence and showed the control
aspect of domestic abuse. It was also noted that the male character looked drunk in the advert:
‘Yes isn’t there one where they are in the bedroom and the girl is texting and he throws the
phone away and smashes it, he is watching himself through the window, watching himself do
it and banging on the window, it shows emotional abuse, it shows his aggressive and
controlling behaviour’.
Another advert recalled by the young people was shown during the World Cup with the headline
‘after the final whistle it all kicks off’. This was a Citysafe campaign which was timed to coincide with
the 2010 World Cup and featured billboard posters showing the impact of drink-fuelled domestic
violence; showing a father assaulting his wife and their daughter witnessing it. Other adverts
discussed included the NSPCC adverts around child abuse, in particular one where a dad hits his
daughter; this adverts was discussed in numerous groups. Other adverts included other child abuse
adverts and RSPCA adverts. Most of the young people felt that such adverts worked as it made them
take notice, however, others found the adverts too upsetting and found themselves switching off
the TV:
‘Yeah they do, makes you think, makes you think about other people, it shocks you and
makes you watch it and think what’s going on, you can’t ignore a child’s cry on an advert ’.
3.2.6 Control
Social networking and mobile phones
During the focus groups, more subtle acts of abuse were discussed, rather than focusing on violence,
to identify whether the young people saw control as domestic abuse.
The young people were asked whether it was ok to check social networking accounts, whether they
themselves would do it, and whether they saw it as a form of domestic abuse. The majority of young
people felt social networking caused trouble in general, and within relationships. Reasons for this
included people arguing via social networking sites. Scenarios given were arguments arising from a
male commenting on a female’s photo or wall, or a male accepting a female’s ‘friend request’:
‘She thinks I’m chatting up girls, it causes big arguments’.
20
It was also discussed that social networking provided young people with an easier method of
bullying and making threats and gave people the confidence to do things they might not say face to
face. Other young people thought that Facebook in particular was problematic because it could give
people the wrong impression:
‘She’s mates with 10,000 friends so she must be a sl*g, or she or he has got a topless picture
on Facebook so she must be a sl*g’.
Others thought social networking was problematic because people could easily access your personal
information. The young people were divided on whether they thought it was okay to check their
partner’s social networking account. A lot of young people concluded that this was controlling
behaviour but believed this was because it was an invasion of privacy rather than abuse; they saw it
as a partner being overprotective and not trusting them. Most of the young people said they would
not allow their partner to check up on them, their accounts are private, but some did say it was okay,
they believed if they had nothing to hide then there wasn't a problem with the other person
checking up on them. However the majority did say they would check their partner’s account,
whether this is by looking at their ‘public profile’ or by accessing their private account. They thought
of it as being ‘nosey’ rather than a form of abuse against their partner. Some, however, did believe
this was abuse. One young person considered it could be abuse because it could lead to an argument;
hence the actual argument being a form of abuse. Another young person thought it could cause
emotional damage, and others thought it was problematic as people may get addicted to checking
their Facebook account. The young people viewed checking mobiles in a similar way to checking
their social networking accounts. Again some expressed the belief that it was okay if you had
nothing to hide; others found it intrusive and an invasion of privacy. Many viewed it as more
intrusive than checking a social networking site; they believed it was an invasion of privacy and
personal space. The young people were asked about receiving constant phone calls; they believed
this was harassment and a warning sign of an abusive relationship, others referred to it as
‘lockdown’, which they described as being told what to do by your partner.
‘…obsessive and possessive, they are trying to control what you’re doing, like checking on
you all the time’.
Other young people expressed the view that you can get ‘clingy’ people (i.e. an insecure partner),
and that they in themselves are not abusive, they just get attached and it’s acceptable that some
people are like that and therefore did not see it as a form of abuse.
Friends
All of the young people said they wouldn’t tolerate being told who they could be friends with. Many
said that if their partner tried to stop them seeing their friends, they would ignore them and see
them anyway. Some believed it was a form of abuse:
‘It’s like mental abuse isn’t it then they’re trying to make you think you’re doing wrong, if they
have just seen you talking to a mate, its control’.
21
Some saw it as form of distrust, jealousy and being overprotective. It was recognised that both males
and females are guilty of this, many referred to it as ‘lockdown’ rather than abuse. However, some
young people felt it was acceptable in certain circumstances, for example, if their partner was
friends with someone who was seen as a bad influence:
‘If you have got good reasons yes, you can’t have a relationship if you can’t voice your
opinions’.
A few participants, both male and female, said they had experience of their partner’s stopping them
seeing their friends:
‘Yeah myself, I got stopped from seeing my mates before by my ex, I wasn't even allowed to
see my family, I was on a 24 hour lockdown, 24/7’.
Another female reported that her friend had experienced abuse from her older boyfriend, but her
friend saw it as him being over protective due to him being older rather than as a form of control.
Appearance
When it came to telling your partner what to wear or being told what you could or couldn’t wear,
there was a definite gender divide in the views expressed. The females said they wouldn’t be told
what to wear, or tell their partner what to wear, and thought it was a form of abuse. A few males
said the same; however the majority said they would tell a female what to wear. They expressed
reasoning for telling their partner what to wear and believed it wasn't abuse. However, these males
were quite derogatory in their description of females. Most males said they wouldn't want their
girlfriend going out in a short skirt as it produced the wrong attention from other males and often
resulted in fights between them and males looking at their girlfriends:
‘If I had a nice bird [girlfriend] I would be overprotective, you wouldn’t want them going out in
short skirts because all the lads would be steaming and looking at her, they would be speaking
to her and trying to touch her and it would cause trouble, I wouldn’t want them to dress like a
sl*g, if she walked in the living room in a dead short skirt I would say what the f*** are you
doing with that on, I would be like get that off’.
Some males defended this opinion by saying that they would like their girlfriend to look presentable,
respectable and nice. A small minority of males said it didn’t matter what their girlfriend wore,
because they trusted them. The males thought the responsibility for the consequences of this
behaviour lay with the females themselves rather than with the males, as it gave the wrong
impression and to a certain extent some of the females agreed with this. However, the majority of
females expressed annoyance at these opinions. Females classed it as control and a form of abuse
22
with one male calling it ‘social abuse’ through limiting someone’s social abilities by not letting them
wear what they want or see their friends.
‘If the girl feels comfortable, and feels nice about herself, why not? Why should that be a
problem? At the end of the day, he’s with her, you should be able to wear what you want it’s
not their life is it, you should be free to wear what you want, we wouldn’t say that if a lad
wears no shirt then he’s asking for it’.
3.2.7 Is abuse ever acceptable in a relationship?
The majority of young people, both male and females, said that violence or abuse was never
acceptable, not in any circumstances:
‘No you can sort it out with words can’t you, there’s different ways of dealing with things, you
don’t have to be aggressive, do you?’
However some did say it would be acceptable in certain situations, the most common reason being if
your partner had cheated. However, the young people saw this act of violence as a ‘one off’; they
didn't see it as abuse as it wasn't a recurring act. Other young people were very matter of fact,
expressing the view that if there was cheating within the relationship they would just end it because
there was no trust. Males had an expectation of violence from their partner if they had cheated,
whereas females didn't expect to receive violence. Males said they would be violent towards the
third party rather than their partner. Other reasons for violence being acceptable in a relationship
included self defence and some thought if the other person needed their help, for example, if the
perpetrator needed support.
‘Because they might need help, because it might not be their fault that they’re doing it, I
wouldn’t leave him and wouldn't want to let him hit me, I would try and help him out’.
Why do people stay in abusive relationships?
Although a lot of the young people said they wouldn't tolerate abuse in any circumstances, they
gave a variety of reasons for why they believed people stay in abusive relationships. Quite a few of
the young people, both male and female, said they believed people stay because of love; females
reported that you might think you can change them:
‘They think they can change them, like “he only hit me but he says he loves me so he’ll like
change and won’t do it again” and then they just keep on giving them chances’.
23
However, others questioned how you could love someone that abused you. All young people
mentioned fear as a reason for tolerating abuse, which was fear of leaving and also fear of being
alone:
‘I was scared of being on my own’ and ‘you might be scared if you leave, then they’ll come
and find you and then do something worse’.
A few young people expressed the belief that people stay because they have low confidence,
because they feel like they are not good enough for anyone else and blame themselves. Others said
some people may get so used to it, that they don't know any different. A couple of the young people
touched on the fact that they might have nowhere else to go:
‘Some people stay because they need them, they’ve got no money or nowhere else to live’ and
‘because of the control they might not have any friends or family, they are isolated’.
Other reasons included having children; one male reported that his mother stayed with her partner
because she didn't want to split the family up, whilst another believed his mother stayed due to fear
of her partner hurting her children if she left. It was also discussed that people might leave because
of the children; one female reported that the main reason for leaving the violent relationship was
because her child might have been taken into care due to the potential risk to her child.
Can abuse continue once a relationship has ended?
The young people felt that domestic abuse could continue once you are no longer in the relationship,
through spreading rumours about ex partners. A few of the males also said that with new girlfriends
they now expected harassment and threats from their ex boyfriends. One person recalled a news
story about a sales assistant from Harvey Nicholls being murdered by her ex boyfriend. Another
person said that abuse could continue especially if there are other factors involved such as having
children or a house together:
‘My mum broke up wither ex husband five years ago and it still goes on now, he uses the kids
to get to my mum’.
3.2.8 Family
The young people felt that having a form of domestic abuse within the family could affect family
functioning through changing the atmosphere of the household. They believed it could affect
everyone within the household, but especially the children:
‘…it changes the kids doesn't it, kids learn it, they are scared, crying all the time, it will f***
them up for later life, it sticks in their mind, the memories of stuff going over again and again
in their mind, that can have a really big effect, a big effect’.
24
During the focus groups, the young people were asked whether they thought growing up in a family
affected by domestic abuse could have an effect on whether you went onto an abusive relationship.
The majority thought this could have an effect, but that it depended on the person and how they
handled their experiences. Some young people thought you could go on to become a perpetrator,
because of witnessing violence in the family and growing up believing it was normal. One young
person recalled knowing a perpetrator who had witnessed violence between his parents. The
domestic violence that happened to the singer Rihanna was recalled in the context that the
perpetrator had blamed it on witnessing his dad abuse his mother. It was also noted that witnessing
parental domestic abuse may not impact on future relationships, but may impact on your violent
behaviour as a child, through bad behaviour at school to seek attention. Others thought that
witnessing abuse would make you more likely to not become a perpetrator:
‘All my life I’ve grown up to see my dad hit my mum. That’s why I would never hit a girl. I’ve
seen the effect it has on a woman, because my mum is f***ed up in the head, it f***s girls up
you know, I will never hit a girl in my life because I have witnessed it’.
A number of the young people thought that witnessing abuse could make you more likely to become
a victim yourself:
‘Yes because I did that, ended up with someone violent, because that's the way you are
brought up and that's what you think life is going to be, you've seen it, you think it’s normal so
you think “oh I should be doing that when I am in a relationship” oh well this is how it’s
supposed to be’.
3.2.9 Advice
The young people were asked if they had ever sought advice before, or if they were concerned that
they were in an abusive relationship or if there was domestic abuse at home, where they would go
for advice and support. There was very limited knowledge on agencies that provided support and
advice, the young people could not name specific services. A lot of the males said they would try to
deal with the issue themselves rather than seeking advice or by leaving the relationship, although it
was pointed out by other participants that some people can’t walk away. There was a mixed
response as to whether the young people would seek help at school. Quite a lot of participants said
they wouldn’t seek support from a teacher, because they didn’t feel it would be confidential:
‘…because it’s like personal and your teachers will know all your business, its proper horrible if
you say it to one teacher “I don't want anyone to know”, and then they all know, you go you
into your next lesson and the teacher is flapping around you, can’t trust them not to repeat it’.
25
Others wouldn't seek help from school due to fears that social services would be contacted. A small
amount said they would seek advice from a teacher that they get on well with and felt comfortable
speaking to; however this would be a last resort if they didn't have friends or family to talk to. A few
young people said they would prefer to go to a mentor, with a specialised role in providing advice
and support rather than teaching staff. A couple of the young people said they would seek support
at the service in which the focus groups were held, however this was the agencies that young people
attended voluntary, compared to the mandatory services.
Although a few people did say they would go to the police for help, a large number wouldn’t. This
was mostly due to negative views of the police; some participants had previously had bad
experiences with the police. A lot of young people expressed distrust in the police, for example, they
thought the police didn’t take domestic abuse seriously enough:
‘My step dad was hitting mum, but it was my mum who was arrested for being drunk, the
police just saw someone drunk and didn’t look below the surface’.
Some of the females felt that because victims will often go back to violent partners, the police may
not take domestic abuse seriously in such cases. One female discussed that her partner was found
not guilty of domestic abuse, and believed this could due to her dropping charges on numerous
occasions in the past. Quite a few of the young people didn’t want to be associated with seeking
help from the police, due to the stigma attached to being labelled a ‘snitch’:
‘…just makes it ten times worse for young people, if you go to the plod [police]. Get called a
grass and then your family gets called a grass, then your family have to move away because
you get battered more for being a grass, there is a saying: snitches get stitches’.
Some feared that going to the police would make the violence worse, by aggravating the perpetrator.
Those who said they would go to the police said they would go because they knew something would
be done. However some young people thought that they would only go to the police if they believed
the violence to be particularly serious as they were concerned that the perpetrator could be
punished severely, when in some cases the victim may not want this. There was a lack of knowledge
around what services were available for support and advice on domestic abuse. Only one person,
who had themselves sought advice at a service, recalled a particular group:
‘A group goes round every week and they discuss it, they are just for domestic abuse, its good
because then you know someone else is going through it themselves so you can talk to some
else about it’.
26
A couple of participants were aware of the types of support available at specialist services such as
counselling and group work. However some young people said that they would not attend such
services due to concerns around confidentiality:
‘I wouldn’t go to anyone professional, everyone professional is connected to the police, they say
it’s confidential but then go to social services’.
A small minority suggested that you could go to the church for help. Nearly all of the young people
said they would go to a family member for help. Family members named included mum, dad, nan,
granddad, brother, sister, girlfriend, a cousin or an auntie. They wouldn’t always go to a parent, for
example, if the violence involved a parent, but they would speak to the rest of the family. Others
said they wouldn’t go to their parents because they might feel intimidated, or because they didn't
believe their parents would be able to do anything about it. Most young people also said they would
seek advice from their friends. The young people expressed the view that seeking advice from a
friend was often better than from an adult as they know you better and are easier to talk to.
However it was noted by most of the males that they would feel foolish seeking advice from another
male friend, and would not do this. A few groups discussed that if you are in an abusive relationship,
you may not see your friends anymore. Considering a large amount of young people used social
networking sites on the internet, the majority of the young people said they would not use the
internet for advice. The main reasons given being that they didn’t know who they would be speaking
to or that it may be discovered if you were in an abusive relationship:
‘If you have an intrusive boyfriend and girlfriend they can go through your internet history’.
A small number of young people said they would use the internet, including a recognised website
such as the NHS or council as they believed these sites would ‘probably’ have a support page.
Forums were also discussed as useful as they are anonymous. Others said they might use the
internet if they knew of a specific site, but that they wouldn’t just ‘google it’. The young people were
put off using a helpline service for similar reasons, i.e. not knowing who they are speaking to.
However, another young person said that the fact that they are strangers is a good thing:
‘Strangers are better they’re not going to know who you are, don’t need to give your name and
address in, it might be easier for different people to tell someone that they’re not as close to
because if their going through it, they might feel like a failure to people close to them and they
know the relationship so they wouldn’t open up as much’.
One participant thought that a helpline service could be useful for younger people who may not feel
like they could go to someone they knew. Other reasons for not using a helpline service again
27
included a partner checking up on your phone bill, but also due to the fear of social services
becoming involved. Leaflets and posters were not believed to be very useful as a source of help and
advice. A number of young people commented that a lot of people may not be able to read. Others
thought that they didn’t get your attention, however again it was noted that young people who did
not want to speak to someone they knew, may find posters helpful.
‘You sort of just pass by them, you don't see them or you don’t you take interest, it doesn't
make you think’.
The young people discussed whether an adult or someone of a similar age would be best to speak to.
Most people said either, and that it wouldn’t really matter. Some young people felt that it would be
good to speak to someone their own age as they have more of an understanding and would respond
in a calmer way than an adult. Some young people expressed the view that if the adult was older
they might not pay attention or take them seriously or they may not want to speak to an authority
figure. However, other participants said that adults would be better because they would know more
about domestic abuse. Again, a fear of social services involvement was a factor that would put young
people off speaking to an adult.
3.2.10 Have you given advice?
The young people were asked what they would do if a friend came to them for advice. Most said
they would listen to them, but that they would not seek advice on their friend’s behalf. Males said
that it was unlikely that a friend would come to them, but if they did they would advise them to end
the relationship. One young person said that she would provide a safe place for her friend by letting
her move in with her. A few of the female participants said they had offered advice to their friends in
the past but had become frustrated when their friends returned to violent relationships.
Not many females said that they would intervene in their friend’s relationship, due to a fear that
they might make the situation worse if the perpetrator found out. Some of the male participants
stated that they would respond with violence if they found out that a female friend or family
member was experiencing domestic violence.
3.2.11 How have they learnt about domestic abuse so far?
The majority of young people reported that they had not been taught about domestic abuse at
school and that this consultation was the first opportunity they had had to discuss domestic abuse.
Some participants thought that they may have learnt about domestic abuse at school but couldn't
recall it and just presumed that they had, stating that it wasn’t memorable. The young people who
did vaguely remember learning about domestic abuse at school reported that it was most likely to
have been taught during a PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education) lesson. However, they
couldn’t recall the details of these lessons but thought it was likely that domestic abuse was touched
on when covering other topics such as alcohol awareness, bullying and sex education. Two groups
also reported that relationship issues were touched on during religious education classes when they
learnt about the family and divorce:
28
‘In religion you learn about it because you have to talk about how you would get a divorce and
stuff because obviously in the Catholic Church you would need to get an annulment first and
the only real way to get one is if it’s a violent relationship or something, or if one of them has
cheated or something, so you sort of learn about a bit of it’.
There were a few young people who could recall the details of lessons they had received on
domestic violence and relationships, such as watching a video in PSHE and through acting out a play
in a drama class. One young person recalled being given a leaflet at school that they could
remember the content of:
‘There were leaflets in our school and they said does he call you pretty? Pretty ugly, ring this
number for domestic violence’.
A small number of young people recalled learning about domestic abuse outside of school. However,
these examples were among specific groups. Young females affected by domestic abuse recalled a
domestic abuse support group they had attended, and a number of young offenders reported that it
had been covered in prison on numerous occasions, and included learning about awareness and
anger management.
3.2.12 Domestic abuse programme for young people: what they want
At the end of each group, the young people were asked what activities they would benefit from in a
domestic abuse programme, what they thought might work best for them and what they would like
to see implemented.
The vast majority of participants thought that young people should be taught about domestic abuse
at school. The reason given for this was that as most young people attend school it would be the
best place to capture your audience:
‘You would have no choice but to go because you are already at school, you would have to
listen, because people wouldn't go otherwise’.
Some young people thought domestic abuse should be covered during PSHE lessons. A few
suggested having a mentor or pastoral teacher with a specialist role, someone in a different capacity
to a teaching role; a mentor scheme was also suggested. However others thought that with teacher
training on the subject matter provided, a teacher could deliver the lesson. Quite a few young
people thought domestic abuse should be a compulsory part of the curriculum. However, others
believed that making it voluntary would be better and that young people should have a choice.
Related to this it was acknowledged that if sessions on domestic abuse were voluntary it would need
to be handled sensitively, as it was noted that other school children would know a young person was
experiencing abuse if they saw them attending voluntary sessions. Areas to be covered in domestic
abuse lessons were suggested by the participants. They wanted all aspects covered such as
29
awareness, including violence and control aspects. A few groups suggested having a one off lesson,
but the majority thought it should be covered over a longer period of time, six weeks was suggested.
The young people also suggested the need for refresher lessons as they progressed through school
as many of them couldn't recall if they had learnt about domestic abuse. In particular, they thought
they would learn more effectively if they were taught about domestic abuse issues in short bursts
over a period of time. They expressed the view that short sessions would keep their attention longer
than one long lesson. One group suggested that school was not the right place to learn about
domestic violence:
‘If you have it as a lesson for kids, they’re just going to switch off because they are going to
think “oh it’s another lesson” and you do switch off in lessons’.
Another group thought that it was more important to concentrate on core subjects, for example,
some were doing their GCSEs and saw this as their priority. A suggestion was made for an after
school club to implement a programme. A lot of the young people also suggested holding a
programme at the youth services they attended, such as youth clubs. The Youth Offending Service
was also suggested by the young people as a good venue for learning because of the links between
domestic abuse and crime. Counselling services were also recommended. The young people were
asked whether they thought you should be taught about healthy relationships and there were mixed
views on this. Some young people wanted to learn about healthy relationships in school; they
thought it was a good idea so that they could recognise early on if their relationship wasn’t healthy:
‘Make it more obvious and to recognise it when it’s on the build up, to get it before it gets
nasty, you don't realise straight away do you, it happens over a period of time’.
One male participant said it was important to cover relationships and that young people would
benefit from learning more about relationships and social skills. He suggested that this was because
this doesn't always come naturally to everyone, for example shy people, or people with low
confidence. Whilst some young people thought it would be good to learn about relationship break
ups, one group suggested that this could be damaging:
‘Because it doesn't happen the same for everyone and if they teach you about a way of
breaking up and it doesn't happen that way for someone they might think they are not
normal’.
Others expressed the view that healthy relationships couldn't be ‘taught’:
‘No I don't think you should learn that, no you need to learn it yourself and learn from your
mistakes’ and ‘I don't think you can really teach how to have a good relationship, you can’t
teach how to fall in love, I would find it really cheesy, I wouldn’t take it seriously’.
30
At one group, a female participant discussed whether forming healthy relationships was based on
‘common sense’, acknowledging that young females who are being controlled by their partners may
not recognise this. During the groups the young people discussed at what age they thought young
people should learn about domestic abuse. Whilst a couple of participants expressed the view that
young people should learn early on, for example, as young as primary school, the majority thought
that children should only be taught when they were older. Most young people thought secondary
school age was the optimum age to be taught about domestic violence issues, and that any younger
was not a good idea, as they thought they were too young to learn about violence. The young people
also suggested that who younger children are spoken to about domestic violence would have to be
very carefully thought out; the young people suggested that particularly young children could be
scared or that ‘ideas could but put in their head’. The young people were asked what materials and
activities they would find useful to help them learn about domestic abuse, or would encourage them
to go and get advice about it. The majority of participants said that handouts and posters wouldn't
work:
‘People don't pick up leaflets and take the time to read them, you can’t be bothered to read it
and most people will just chuck them away, it's a waste of time’.
Other participants acknowledged that not everyone had good levels of literacy, and so posters and
handouts would not be of any use for them. The majority of young people didn't think a helpline was
a good idea; many stated that they did not like the idea of not knowing who they were talking to. In
addition, the majority also said that they would not use the internet, again as they would not know
who they were speaking to. However, a small number of participants did say that materials and
activities available on the internet would be useful if there was a confidential site available to them.
A participant also said the internet would be useful for anonymously reporting incidences of
domestic abuse.
The young people said they wanted interactive materials, expressing the view that they learn better
if they can talk about issues as it ‘sinks in’. Group work and role playing were suggested as other
effective methods for learning by the young people. One young person thought that teaching should
be more interactive and include different styles; he acknowledged that different people learn in
different ways:
‘VARK, four learning styles – visual, auditory, reading, kinesthetic, we need other ways of
learning, we need more communication’.
All of the young people suggested that a DVD would be useful, as they thought it was important to
learn through visual, interactive resources. They thought materials showing the early stages of abuse
would be helpful, so they could be helped to recognise the signs straight away. They wanted the
content of the DVDs to be current and modern. The young people noted that it was important not to
glamorise violence in a film too much as it could encourage people to commit violence. They thought
31
stories conveyed through film were particularly useful, because it enabled them to ‘sit back and
watch’ and to think about the issues from a number of perspectives. The importance of having
realistic storylines was discussed; the young people wanted them to show the seriousness of
domestic abuse and they wanted to see examples of female perpetrators of domestic abuse. Other
participants suggested that watching a play about domestic abuse would be helpful; one particular
group discussed going to see a play about drugs which they had found very useful and could recall a
lot of details from. Adverts were also recommended. Involving young people in producing music
was also seen as a good way to learn.
The majority of the young people said that having someone in to give a talk would be useful.
However, one young person commented that it would depend on the content of the talk and
personality of the speaker. Nearly all of the young people said that a programme would benefit from
the addition of a speaker who had experienced domestic abuse themselves. The young people
suggested that this would be useful because the speaker would ‘know what they were talking about’
and would give them a more personal and realistic account of domestic abuse issues. For example,
they thought it would be inspirational to learn how victims had moved on with their lives.
Other methods of learning and ideas for materials suggested by the young people included:
•
The legal side – a female participant suggested that there should be legal advice available for
those affected by domestic abuse, for example, advice on what happens if you continue to
go back to the perpetrator, and how will this affect the chances of prosecution at a later
date?
•
An advocacy service – run by young people for other young people to have someone of a
similar age to speak to.
•
An enterprise day – for specialists to attend and present their services at an open day for the
public to attend.
•
Support for perpetrators of domestic abuse: ‘because otherwise they will continue to do it, If
you show your willing to listen to their side they might be more reluctant to do it in the future
because they know people are willing to help them. If it wasn't just punishment, if you were
willing to help’.
•
A programme that provides awareness and support for not only direct victims, but also for
those who witness domestic abuse.
•
Games to play – ‘a game where kids have to pay attention and you earn money and stuff, so
they are sort of win something. So kids sort of want to win this so they pay more attention,
so if you did it like a game they’d be more into it’.
•
Fundraising: ‘give the parents money for the kid’s clothes who are going through it’.
32
•
Activities for families: ‘like activities where you go somewhere with your kids and bond with
them properly, for example going to Blackpool or Southport for the day, a day out instead of
stuck in the house and make it free for them’.
•
A youth centre: ‘for people who need to escape from the house at times of violence’.
•
Project work at school: ‘like the homeless project we did with the homeless people, it as
useful and helped us learn more, it would be good to do work around domestic violence’.
•
Support for parents
Overall the views and opinions voiced by the young people suggested that they wanted something
that was ‘realistic’; they expressed that the consultation had been useful and that they wanted
similar opportunities to be able to talk openly and get involved in discussions about domestic abuse:
‘People like you who can talk openly about it, people shouldn’t be ashamed to talk about it,
people need to find their voice, you shouldn’t be scared to say anything’.
33
4
Discussion
A series of focus groups were conducted with young people to gain a greater understanding of how
young people view domestic abuse and to learn more about the issues affecting them in relation to
domestic abuse.
4.1 Summary of findings
How do young people view domestic abuse?
The young people involved in the focus groups had a clear understanding of domestic abuse and
recognised that it could involve physical, psychological and sexual abuse. In acknowledging these
different forms of abuse, the young people felt it should be referred to as domestic abuse rather
than domestic violence. At all groups the young people acknowledged that domestic abuse can
occur within the family and they put an emphasis on it being something happening within a house,
hence the word domestic.
They believed domestic abuse could happen to anyone; however it is portrayed that it happens
more often to females. There was stereotyping of male behaviour in response to domestic abuse
from a female partner, especially from the males themselves. Some females also thought it was
more acceptable for a female to hit a male. Often the males laughed at the thought of being the
victims themselves, but following more in-depth discussion they acknowledged that these
perceptions were unfair and expressed the view that it was harder for males to speak to someone
about domestic abuse or get advice. The young people themselves brought up the influence of drugs
and alcohol on violence; they concluded that although people may use drug and alcohol use as an
excuse for their violent behaviour, in their view it was not an excuse.
Media influences
The media, particularly TV, was frequently cited by participants as a source of information about
domestic abuse; the young people could name various programmes that had shown storylines
involving domestic abuse. It appeared that they had learnt the majority of their knowledge about
domestic abuse through the media. The young people could recall advice adverts when prompted,
they felt that adverts had a shock value which made them take notice, however a few of them said
they found some of them too upsetting, especially ones involving children, and this would make
them switch off.
Exploring the more subtle aspects of domestic abuse
An aim of the research was to try and gauge what the young people thought about other aspects of
domestic abuse, in particular whether they thought being in a controlling relationship was a form of
abuse. The young people expressed mixed views, particularly with regard to the more subtle aspects
of controlling behaviour, such as checking your partner’s social networking account or mobile phone.
34
Although this behaviour was not seen as acceptable, it was viewed by most as an invasion of privacy
rather than a form abuse. A lot of participants said they themselves would check up on their
partners in this way. Your partner stopping you from seeing friends was considered a form of abuse
and some participants gave examples of their partners having exhibited this behaviour. Males and
females differed in their opinions of whether it was acceptable to tell a partner what to wear; female
participants thought this was not acceptable whereas nearly all of the male participants stated that
they would and did stop their partners from wearing short skirts. The male participants expressed
the view that females were to blame for receiving the wrong type of attention when wearing short
skirts and they did not perceive their behaviour as a form of abuse.
Is abuse acceptable?
The majority of the young people said that abuse was not acceptable in any circumstances. Some
participants suggested that violence would be acceptable if a partner had cheated; in their view this
was seen as a one off act of violence rather than abuse because it wasn't sustained. The young
people suggested that it was more likely for females to physically hit a male partner for cheating.
Other circumstances in which abuse was viewed as acceptable included self defence and if the
perpetrator needed help for an anger-related or mental health problem. Although a lot of the young
people expressed the view that abuse was not acceptable in relationships, they all gave reasons as
to why they thought people stayed in abusive relationships. Quite a few believed that people stayed
because of love and in the hope that they could change their partner. However, others questioned
how you could love someone who was violent towards you. Fear in particular was mentioned as a
reason for tolerating abuse, but also because of people having children or a home together.
The Family
Young people viewed domestic abuse at home as having devastating effects on children; leaving
them scared and affected by their experiences into later life. Although participants believed that the
effects in adulthood largely depended on the person and how they handled their experiences. It was
discussed that children affected by domestic abuse could become perpetrators and victims
themselves when in adult relationships, however, the young people also acknowledged that
witnessing domestic abuse could make you more determined to never do that yourself.
Seeking advice
Although some young people said they would seek advice from a teacher quite a few participants
expressed the belief that teachers would not maintain confidentiality. Family members were
frequently cited as a source for advice and support. Female participants were particularly likely to
say they would speak to a friend, whereas males were more likely to go to a family member or keep
it to themselves rather than speak to a friend. Young people rarely said they would go to the police.
Some of the reasons given were due to bad experiences, but the majority of opinions were based on
stereotypical views of the police. Considering the majority of the young people said they used the
internet for activities such as social networking, not many of them would access the internet for
35
advice. In addition, not many of them would use helpline services or take notice of posters and
handouts.
Giving advice
A number of the young people gave examples of friends who had experienced domestic abuse either
at home, or in a relationship. Female participants had given advice to their friends in abusive
relationships, but expressed frustration with their friends, particularly when they went back to their
violent partner. Males said that friends were unlikely to come to them, but if they did they would
advise them to end the relationship.
Learning about domestic abuse
Young people had generally not learnt about domestic abuse prior to the consultation; expressing
that it was the first opportunity they had had to discuss it. Recall of lesson content was low among
the young people who thought they had covered it at school; only a small minority had covered
domestic abuse at school, usually in a one off lesson. A few others had learnt about it, but in a
specialist setting, one had attended a specific support group for victims of domestic abuse, and a
couple of males had been taught about it in prison.
Learning about domestic abuse was viewed as important and school was thought to be the best
setting. The young people expressed preferences on programme content and length, for example
they thought domestic abuse issues should be covered in lessons over a number of weeks and that
programmes should incorporate all aspects of domestic abuse, not just the physical violence aspects.
Young people expressed mixed views on whether they should be taught about healthy relationships.
Some young people thought this was essential whereas others thought you could not teach young
people how to have good relationships.
Interactive material and activities such as group discussions, DVDs and talks by people affected by
domestic abuse were viewed as the approaches that would help them learn most effectively.
Handouts, leaflets, the internet and helpline services were not thought to be a useful source of
learning.
4.2 Research limitations
The consultation ran over a short period of time and this hindered recruitment in the early stages of
the work. Early on in the consultation it was apparent that a low number of young people were
attending the focus groups, because some groups were held at voluntary agencies it was always
likely that people may not turn up to the groups. However this was overcome by increasing the
number of focus groups. There was poor representation of young people from agencies in the South
of Liverpool, however, it is unknown how this may have affected the results and it is likely that the
sample would have included young people from across Liverpool (e.g. such as those attending
Central services). Another problem encountered during the recruitment phase was that discussion of
domestic abuse is still seen as a taboo topic and some of those invited to participate in the research
felt it would be too risky to discuss. A small number of disclosures of abuse were made during the
36
consultation, the disclosures were about past experiences and the young people were not believed
to be at present risk. They were referred to the Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA) for
advice and support and received onward referrals.
4.3 Further research
A lack of awareness of services was noted among the young people who participated in the focus
groups. Therefore, it is recommended that a scoping exercise is undertaken to identify what support
is available for young people in relation to domestic abuse and to provide a directory of domestic
abuse services. There also appeared to be a lack of formal training and teaching, with many
reporting that domestic abuse awareness is not taught at school. It is recommended that a review of
current and previous domestic abuse programmes is conducted, to determine the evidence base for
what works with young people and the most effective way to deliver such interventions.
37
5
Conclusions and recommendations
Overall, the young people involved in the consultation had a good understanding of what domestic
abuse is, they could state different types of abuse and who they thought it could happen to.
However this knowledge appeared to be from what they had seen on TV and from their own
personal and friends’ experiences. Not many of the young people had been given any formal training
or teaching on the subject, although many of them thought it would be beneficial to have learnt
about it. Although there was good knowledge on some areas of domestic abuse, there did appear to
be a lack of awareness around the more subtle aspects, such as controlling behaviour and many of
the young people did not see certain controlling behaviours as abusive. The young people also
demonstrated a lack of knowledge about where to go for advice; many were not aware of any
domestic abuse services and many would not go to a professional for help. Therefore it appeared
that most young people would rather seek support from someone they know and someone they felt
comfortable talking to, rather than access a website, ring a help line or speak to a stranger. The
young people had not had the opportunity to learn about domestic abuse previously and stated that
this consultation was their first opportunity to discuss the topic. All focus groups were well received,
and the young people wanted to discuss abuse and believed they should be taught about domestic
abuse. They expressed the desire for a programme that is realistic and modern that will hold their
attention and where they can speak freely.
Recommendations:
•
There is a need for formal training and/or teaching on domestic abuse among young people in
Liverpool. A programme addressing domestic abuse issues relevant to young people should be
implemented. Examples of what young people would like to see from a programme include:
-
A programme taught at school with age appropriate material
-
A series of lessons over a set course of time, including refresher lessons
-
A programme that covers all aspects of abuse, including awareness, violence and control
aspects
•
-
Interactive tools that are both modern and realistic, such as a DVD
-
Talks from agencies, including people who have experienced domestic abuse themselves
-
Group work, to give the young people the opportunity to talk about domestic abuse.
In order to provide an evidence base to inform the development of a programme addressing
domestic abuse issues, a review of the effects of domestic abuse programmes should be
conducted.
38
•
The more subtle aspects of abuse, such as controlling behaviour, should be a focus of future
programmes and domestic violence materials. For example:
-
An interactive DVD, with material showing the early stages of abuse to help young
people recognise the signs straight away.
•
Awareness of domestic abuse services and the types of support available needs to be improved
among young people in Liverpool, to prevent stereotypical views and to encourage engagement.
A scoping exercise should be conducted to compile a list of relevant support agencies and advice
routes for young people.
•
Local responses to the Government’s strategy to tackle violence against women and girls should
incorporate the findings from this consultation and ensure that young people’s views are
considered.
•
Young people should be given opportunities to speak freely about domestic abuse and to have
their views heard. Steps should also be taken to ensure that young people are involved in future
work relating to domestic abuse, especially when there are plans to develop or implement
programmes and/or materials targeted towards young people.
39
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42
7
Appendices
Appendix 1. Carer participant information sheet and consent form
A consultation with young people about the impact of domestic violence (abuse) in their families
and their formative relationships
Ellie McCoy, Centre for Public Health, LJMU
and Citysafe
Please ask if there is anything you do not understand or if you would like more information. Take
time to decide whether or not you wish to take part.
About the research
This research is being carried out to look at the impact that domestic violence has on young people
and their families/relationships.
You are invited to take part in a group discussion with other young people. Participation is entirely
voluntary. It is up to you to decide whether or not to take part. If you decide to participate you will
be given this information sheet and asked to sign a consent form. You can decide not to be involved
in the research at any time and without giving a reason. If you decide to withdraw it will not affect
any services you currently receive or may receive in the future.
What will happen to me if I take part?
You will be asked to take part in a group discussion with other young people. No staff from the
agency you attend will be present during the discussion (unless you wish for them to be present).
The group discussion will involve a small number of people having a confidential and open discussion.
Discussion topics will include:
•
Domestic violence and family
•
Domestic violence and relationships
43
•
Domestic violence in the media/social network sites
It will take between one and two hours of your time.
You will get a £5 shopping voucher as a thank you for taking part.
What would my involvement mean to me?
There are no foreseen risks to taking part in the group discussion.
The information we get during the research will help increase understanding of the needs of young
people and help to improve services, where it is needed.
Will my taking part in the study be kept confidential?
All the information you give us will be strictly confidential. This means that your answers are private
between you, us and other young people who attend the group discussion. Young people who
attend the group discussion will be asked to keep the conversations private. However, should you
suggest, imply or state that you will act in a manner that will cause harm to yourself or others,
that someone else is harming you/others or that you or someone you know is involved in specific
serious criminal activities (i.e. acts of terrorism, offences against children) then the researcher will
have to let the necessary people know.
If it is okay with you, we will tape record the focus group. Once the recording has been written up,
it will be wiped clean. Only the research team will have access to the recording and the written
transcript.
Contact Details of Researcher
If you have any questions about this research then please contact, Ellie McCoy by
email [email protected] or telephone 0151 231 4442 (office hours).
Thank you for reading this.
44
For advice and more information:
• ChildLine
Freephone - 0800 1111 http://www.childline.org.uk/Pages/Home.aspx
Need to talk? Calls are free and confidential. You can contact ChildLine about anything. No problem
is too big or too small. Whatever your worry it's better out than in.
• The Hideout
http://www.thehideout.org.uk/default.aspa
Women's Aid have created this space to help children and young people to understand domestic
abuse, and how to take positive action if it's happening to you.
• IDVA Service (Independent Domestic Violence Advisory Service)
Kerry - 0151 482 2496, Email: [email protected]
Aim is to provide a short/ medium term service to reduce the risk of further domestic violence and
the emotional effects it causes.
• Mankind
National helpline: 01823 334244 http://www.mankind.org.uk/
The ManKind Initiative is a national Men’s Charity which is largely devoted to helping male victims of
domestic violence and domestic abuse.
• Women’s Aid
0808 2000 247 http://www.womensaid.org.uk/
Women's Aid is the key national charity working to end domestic violence against women and
children.
• Worst Kept Secret
Free phone confidential helpline 0800 028 3398 http://www.worstkeptsecret.co.uk/
'Worst Kept Secret' is a Merseyside project established to reduce domestic violence and enhance
support for survivors. 'Worst Kept Secret' provides a listening ear to those who are affected by
domestic violence.
• Young Person’s Advisory Service
YPAS, 36 Bolton Street, Liverpool L3 5LX, 0151 707 1025 [email protected]
YPAS supports young people from 13 to 25 with a range of issues. Services at YPAS include advice,
support and group work.
45
A consultation with young people about the impact of domestic violence (abuse) in their families and
their formative relationships:
Consent form
Please tick

1. I understand the information sheet about the research called: A
consultation with young people about the impact of domestic violence
(abuse) in their families and their formative relationships.
2. I have had the chance to ask questions.
3. I understand that I don’t have to take part if I don’t want to.
4. I agree for the focus group to be audio recorded.
5. I understand that parts of our conversation may be used verbatim in
future publications or presentations but that such quotes will be
anonymised.
6. I agree to take part in the above research.
Initials of young person
Date
Signature
Initials of researcher
Date
Signature
1 copy for participant, 1 for researcher
46
Appendix 2. Young persons’ participant information sheet and consent form
A consultation with young people about the impact of domestic violence (abuse) in their
families and their formative relationships
Ellie McCoy, Centre for Public Health, LJMU
and Citysafe
Please ask if there is anything you do not understand or if you would like more
information. Take time to decide whether or not to give consent for your child to take
part.
About the research
This research is being carried out to look at the impact that domestic violence has on young
people and their families/relationships.
We have invited your child to take part in a group discussion with other young people.
Participation is entirely voluntary. It is up to you to decide whether s/he should take part. If
you decide to give consent for your child to participate you will be given this information
sheet and asked to sign a consent form. You may withdraw your consent at any time
without giving a reason. If you decide to withdraw it will not affect any services your child
currently receives or may receive in the future.
What will happen to my child if they take part?
Your child will be asked to take part in a group discussion with other young people. No staff
from the agency they attend will be present during the discussion (unless the young people
ask for them to be present). The group discussion will involve a small number of people
having a confidential and open discussion. Discussion topics will include:
47
•
Domestic violence and family
•
Domestic violence and relationships
•
Domestic violence in the media/social network sites
It will take between one and two hours
Your child will receive a £5 shopping voucher as a thank you for taking part.
What would their involvement mean?
There are no foreseen risks to taking part in the group discussion.
The information we get during the research will help increase understanding of the needs of
young people and help to improve services, where it is needed.
Will my child’s participation in the study be kept confidential?
All the information your child gives us will be strictly confidential. This means that their
answers are private between them, us and the other young people who attend the group
discussion. Young people who attend the group discussion will be asked to keep the
conversations private. However, should they suggest, imply or state that they will act in a
manner that will cause harm to themselves or others, that someone else is harming
them/others or that they or someone they know is involved in specific serious criminal
activities (i.e. acts of terrorism, offences against children) then the researcher will have to
let the necessary people know.
If it is okay with you, we will tape record the focus group. Once the recording has been
written up, it will be wiped clean. Only the research team will have access to the recording
and the written transcript.
Contact Details of Researcher
If you have any questions about this research then please contact, Ellie McCoy by
email [email protected] or telephone 0151 231 4442 (office hours).
Thank you for reading this.
48
A consultation with young people about the impact of domestic violence (abuse) in their
families and their formative relationships:
Consent form
Please tick

1. I understand the information sheet about the research called: A
consultation with young people about the impact of domestic
violence (abuse) in their families and their formative relationships.
2. I have had the chance to ask questions (by telephone or email).
3. I understand that my child does not have to take part if I don’t
want them to.
4. I agree for the focus group to be audio recorded.
5. I understand that parts of the group discussion may be used
verbatim in future publications or presentations but that such
quotes will be anonymised.
6. I give permission for my child to take part in the above research.
Initials of parent/guardian
Date
Signature
Initials of researcher (prior to Date
Signature
focus group)
Initials of researcher (at focus
group)
1 copy for participant, 1 for researcher
49
Appendix 3. Questionnaire
Questionnaire
Today’s date:
1. Age
My age is:
2. Gender (please tick)
My gender is:
□Male
□ Female
3. Ethnic background (please tick the box that you feel most appropriately defines your ethnicity)
Asian
□Bangladeshi
□Indian
□Pakistani
□other
Black
□African
□British
□Caribbean
□other
Chinese
□Chinese
□other
Dual Heritage
□White & Asian
□White & Black African
□White & Black Caribbean
□other
White
□English
□Irish
□Scottish
□Welsh
□other
Other – please specify:
4. Disability (please tick)
Do you have a disability:
If yes please state:
□yes
□ No
5. Religion (please tick)
I would describe my religion as:
□I have no religious beliefs
□I prefer not to say
6. Sexual orientation (please tick the box that you feel most appropriately describes your sexuality)
□Bi-sexual
□Gay/lesbian
□Heterosexual
□Prefer not to say
Thank you for taking the time to complete this form
All information provided will be kept confidential.
Appendix 4. Focus group plan
50
Focus Group - Discussion Guide
Proposal to undertake a consultation with young people about the
impact of domestic violence (abuse) in their families and their formative
relationships
-
Introduce self
Explain research and participants involvement
Opportunities for questions about research
Gain written consent (ethical approval gained and requires consent)
Explain safeguarding (when confidentiality will be broken)
Discuss opportunity to speak with the domestic violence specialist
Opportunities for questions about consent/confidentiality
Ask participants to complete demographics questionnaire
Introduction
- Ask young people to introduce themselves (ice breaker)
What is domestic violence?
- Do you know what domestic violence is? What do you think domestic violence means/is?
- What types of violence are you aware of? (e.g. emotional/physical abuse?)
- What is acceptable?
- Can men and women experience domestic violence?
- Why does it happen?
- How do the media portray it?
Relationships
- Control – does social networking affect relationships?
- Do you think partners can control you via your social networking, does it create jealousy?
/Checking each other’s accounts is this ok?
- Mobile phones – checking phones/monitoring texts and calls? Is this ok?
- Being told what to wear?
- Have ever been ‘put down’ by a boyfriend/girlfriend (sworn at, insulted)
- Attitudes towards aggression within dating relationships – is it ok for someone you are going
out with to be aggressive? Would you consider forgiving violent behaviour from someone you
are going out with?
- Is violent behaviour ok in response to cheating?
51
-
Knowledge of friends that had experienced emotional, physical and mental abuse (or pressured
into sex?) from a boyfriend/girlfriend that they were going out with? Examples?
Why do you think people stay in these relationships? (Blinded by love, scared, think it’s ok, lack
confidence, emotionally dependent?)
What about when you split up? Trouble from an ex? Spreading rumours? Telling confidential
secrets?
Family experiences
- Anyone know of anyone with domestic violence in the family, examples?
- If you saw your parents/carers being threatening, violent or abusive towards each other, what
do you think you would do?
- How do you think this affects families?
- Do you think coming from a family where domestic violence is present – would make you more
likely to accept it from a partner? (see it as normal, difficult to recognise an unhealthy
relationship) Or more likely to not put up with it?
- Do you think lack of support at home could push you into a relationship?
Who to tell
- Who would you get advice from? Friends? Parents? Teachers? Agencies?
- Why would you not speak to certain people? (e.g. parents?) (Do adults know enough about
what goes on in young people’s lives today?)
- Do friends take it seriously? Is it different for girls and boys confiding in friends?
- Ever had a friend confide in you, what did you do?
- If someone did confide in you, would you intervene?
- Where would you go for information, support and guidance?
Education/Programme?
- Do you think you know enough about healthy relationships?
- Have you ever learnt about domestic violence and health relationships in school (PSHE) or
through other activities (youth clubs, agencies etc)
- If yes? What was covered? Did it cover emotional aspects of relationships? Promote healthy
relationships?
- If no, would you like to have access to this? What would you like to see?
- What would you like to learn from a domestic violence project? (healthy relationships/anger
management? etc)
- What activities would you like to participate in? (a talk at school, counselling, group work etc)
The end
- Is there anything else you would like to add?
- Thank young people for taking part
- Reiterate that the domestic violence specialist is available
- Provide shopping vouchers
52
Liverpool John Moores University
Centre for Public Health
Research Directorate
Henry Cotton Campus
2nd Floor, Room 2.23
15-21 Webster Street
Liverpool L3 2ET
e: [email protected]
t: 0151 231 4442
f: 0151 231 4552
www.cph.org.uk
ISBN: 978-1-908029-62-1