‘The edge to him was really, really nasty’: abusive tactics used against informal supporters of domestic violence survivors

Abstract

General rightsThis document is made available in accordance with publisher policies. Please cite only the published version using the reference above. Full terms of use are available: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/pure/about/ebr-terms With a thirty percent life-time prevalence of domestic violence and abuse (DVA) for women across the globe, (2) it is reasonable to assume that most people, at some point in their lives, will be in the position of friend, relative, colleague or neighbour to a DVA survivor. Research suggests that in the majority of cases, friends and family members did know about the abuse their loved one was experiencing or perpetrating,(3, 4) and that most women in an abusive relationship choose to access support from members of their social network.(5-9) Data from the 2015 Crime Survey for England and Wales indicates that of the 88% of intimate partner abuse survivors who had disclosed the abuse they had experienced; 80% had told someone known to them personally (relative, friend, neighbour or colleague), compared with 43% who had told someone in an official position (e.g. police or health professional), and 32% who had contacted a specialist organisation.(9) Because of the primacy given by survivors to the people around them, in terms of disclosure and help-seeking, the responses, judgements and behaviours of these people have the potential to significantly help or harm the situation. (4,8,9) Much of the existing research regarding DVA survivors' social networks, has focussed on people who are 'bystanders' to the survivor's situation, in other words, people who are witnesses to particular events or incidents, but are not involved (including people who know the survivor and/or perpetrator and those who are strangers). This research has sought to explore the roles people play and their willingness, or not, to be involved in the situation, (4,6,10,11) and has tended to concentrate on understanding, and developing interventions to reduce apathy, and increase a sense of responsibility

Social support network of family members of abused children and adolescents: Perspectives and possibilities

“…A recent review article about informal supporters for domestic violence and abuse reported that most of the victims feel frightened, threatened and intimidated by the violence perpetrator, and these feelings directly affect the victims’ health and well‐being (Gregory, Williamson, & Feder, ). The violence perpetrators also manipulate, intimidate, harass and punish the informal supporters of domestic violence survivors (Gregory, ). Consequently, such supporters suffer from symptoms similar to those who experience domestic violence and note that the presence of children in their own family clusters is a stress factor (Gregory, Feder, et al., ).…”

The role of trade unions in supporting victims of domestic violence in the workplace

“…It is important to note the limitations of this research, in that it reflects only the perspectives of trade union representatives. Nonetheless, we agree with Gregory (2017) that whilst the voices of victims and survivors must remain central to debates around domestic violence, there is a need to also understand the experiences of their supporters to better understand the key issues and the assistance provided. Equally, as participants in this study reveal, representatives may have also experienced abuse themselves; therefore, the boundaries between survivor and representative may be blurred.…”

“…Having personal experience of domestic violence may increase vicarious trauma, as may higher levels of exposure in terms of the number of cases handled or closeness of the representative to the victim (Gregory et al, 2016;Slattery and Goodman, 2009). Both professionals and colleagues may also be placed at risk of harm from the perpetrator, thus increasing their anxiety (Gregory, 2017;Iliffe and Steed, 2000).…”

Children's experiences and needs in situations of domestic violence: A secondary analysis of qualitative data from adult friends and family members of female survivors

“…Interviews ranged in length from 35–90 min, were audio‐recorded, transcribed verbatim and imported into NVivo10 software. Findings from the original study are published elsewhere (Gregory, ; Gregory, Feder, Taket, & Williamson, ).…”