ABSTRACT
Previous research in the UK and elsewhere has shown that, despite recent improvements, there is widespread misunderstanding of the nature of domestic violence, not just among the general public but also among workers in the statutory agencies to whom the majority of women experiencing abuse and seeking help turn for assistance and support (Smith 1989). This lack of understanding has had, and continues to have, serious consequences for survivors of such violence and their children in relation to access to services; indeed, it has cost some women their lives (Home Office Homicide Statistics, annual). It is clear from repeated and well-publicised tragedies that the safety of women and children depends on how well service providers understand the scope and scale of domestic violence and the complexities of women’s attempts to escape. Male partners may escalate violence, abuse and threats to prevent their partners from leaving; women may feel tied by bonds of love, marriage, children and financial security; and the interaction between the emotional impact of the abuse and the difficulty that survivors have in negotiating the maze of ill-coordinated legal and welfare services is well known (e.g. Mullender 1996). Above all, service providers need to understand how advocacy, self-help and support services can empower women through this process on their own terms.
