Domestic Abuse and Health; A private roundtable with Nicole Jacobs Domestic Abuse Commissioner

Thursday 13th May 14:00 - 15:00

Domestic Abuse is a life-altering crime that must be punished. Yet 80% of domestic abuse survivors refuse to report their abuse because they fear police and services will belittle them, or not believe them; exploit them; or further traumatize them. We cannot ignore the toll of domestic abuse – on the physical and mental health of the whole family, and often, on more than one generation.

The Domestic Abuse Act of 2021 represents an important landmark for those who have sought to address this heinous, and all too commonplace, crime. The legislation recognised for the first time that children are victims, not just witnesses, of domestic abuse; and that to end the cyclical, inter-generational nature of abuse, we need to engage with perpetrators. The CSJ welcomed the Act and its shift of perspective, and in May 2021 launched an ambitious programme of research and events to reflect a “whole family” approach to tackling domestic violence. Our approach highlights how this type of abuse has a significant and long-term impact on the health and wellbeing of those who experience it.

In our roundtable discussion we shall examine the long-term impact of abuse on survivors and children (including children whose abusive parents are in prison); the potentially transformative therapeutic work with perpetrators; ensuring victims with NRPF can access health services without fear of interrogation about their immigrant status; and pre-trial therapy. We shall ask for the best evidence-led interventions to help break the inter-generational cycle of violence in the home; and how specialist services fit within the new integrated care systems.

Participants include grassroot charities and specialist services, survivors, as well as key representatives of the DHSC and NHS England. We want to hear from these different stakeholders about best practice, challenges and models that could be scaled up.