A randomised control trial of a multi-agency approach to dealing with repeat domestic abuse, where victims that have suffered three or more incidents of reported domestic abuse receive additional social services.
| Status |
Complete
|
|---|---|
| Lead institution | |
| Principal researcher(s) |
Dr Martin Foureaux Koppensteiner
|
| Police region |
East Midlands
|
| Collaboration and partnership |
Leicestershire Police |
| Project start date |
|
| Date completed |
|
Hypothesis
In repeat incidents of domestic abuse, early intervention by trained engagement workers to offer domestic abuse victims and their children with support and information regarding legal options and assistance accessing local services will positively impact a number of outcomes.
These include victim engagement in the criminal justice process, contact with perpetrators, victim and child welfare and health outcomes as well as satisfaction with the police.
Such an intervention will offer greater empowerment to victims to leave abusive relationships and ultimately reduce the cost, to both the public and respective households, of domestic abuse in the UK.
Geographical area
Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
Target sample size
550 cases in the experimental group, 550 cases in control group.
Participants - inclusion criteria
The subject pool consists of households that (are all of the following):
- report an incidence of domestic abuse to police during the duration of the project
- have had two previously reported incidents over the previous 365 day period
- are not assessed as high risk
Interventions
Control
Services available through current Leicestershire Police procedures.
Treatment
There are two components to the treatment.
- Victims will be contacted, by phone, by a trained engagement worker (targeting within 24hrs of a report being filed by responding officers). The engagement worker will offer to provide further assistance to the victim and, if assistance is accepted, set up a one-to-one visit with the victim (targeting within 24 hours of the call).
- If children are in the household, engagement workers will inform a contact person at the child’s school that a domestic disturbance has taken place.
Study design
Basic randomisation of a treatment group compared to a control group receiving services available through current procedures.