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How Do We Deal With Domestic Violence?

Two new publications from the School of Health and Social Studies tackle the issue of domestic violence, Violence Against Women in South Asian Communities and Domestic Violence: Working with Men.

Listen to a podcast with Warwick's Dr Ravi Thiara talking about her book Violence Against Women in South Asian Communities and Warwick's Dr Donna Chung discussing her book, Domestic Violence: Working with Men.

Dr Ravi Thiara says "violence against women of which domestic violence is a part, is a worldwide problem, it's recognised as the leading cause of death worldwide for women aged 19-44 years old ... domestic violence has a major health and social welfare cost in the UK and is estimated at around £23 billion per year ... the estimates across a number of research projects show that 1/4 of women experience domestic violence at some point in their lives".

This podcast explores:

  • The behaviours involved in domestic violence
  • Economic domestic violence
  • The prevalence of domestic violence in the UK and how this compares to the rest of the world
  • The cost of domestic violence in the UK
  • Community involvement in domestic violence
  • Domestic violence perpetrator programmes
  • Domestic violence in minority ethnic communities
  • Learned behaviour theory in domestic violence

Dr Donna Chung is director and Dr Ravi Thiara a member of The Centre for the Study of Safety and Well-being (SWELL) based at the University of Warwick. SWELL is a nationally and internationally recognised research centre which mainly focuses on researching violence against women and children and child care/protection issues.


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Violence Against Women in South Asian Communities: Issues for Policy and Practice

Edited by Ravi K Thiara and Aisha K Gill
Foreword by Professor Liz Kelly CBE

"This book is powerful, challenging and inspirational, and is an important contribution to debates on the complex intersections between ethnicity, gender and inequality, as well as on human rights and violence against women. Thiara and Gill and the contributors to this text skillfully unpick the flawed thinking and policy initiatives directed at gender-based violence over the past 30 years and especially in the post 9/11 period community cohesion and anti-terrorism initiatives"Dr Lorraine Radford, Head of Research, NSPCC

While forced marriage and ‘honour-based’ violence attract media attention, little is known about the issues and experiences of South Asian women and children who are affected by gendered violence. This book explores the key theoretical and empirical issues involved in gendered violence, ethnicity and South Asian communities. The editors draw together leading researchers and practitioners to provide a critical reflection of contemporary debates and consider how these reflections can inform policy, research and practice. The contributors consider the primacy of religion and culture, and how South Asian women face multiple and intersecting forms of violence. Future directions for facilitating improved services for survivors of violence against women from different racial and ethnic backgrounds are also proposed.

Violence Against Women in South Asian Communities will have widespread relevance for professional academics, researchers, students, policy makers, practitioners and anyone concerned with gendered violence within South Asian communities.


    Domestic Violence - Working With MenDomestic Violence - Working With Men: Research, practice experiences and integrated responses

    Andrew Day, Patrick O'Leary, Donna Chung and Donna Justo

    Violence Against Women in South Asian Communities Surveys suggest that around one third of all adult women will at some point in their life experience abuse perpetrated by an intimate male partner. In recent years a number of 'integrated responses' to domestic violence have been developed which are coordinated, appropriate, consistent responses aimed at enhancing victim safety, reducing secondary victimisation and holding abusers accountable for their violence. An increasingly important part of integrated responses is the delivery of interventions for male perpetrators of violence.

    In this book contributions come from those working with victims of domestic violence, from within the criminal justice system and integrated response programs. They describe and discuss the provision of programs and services that are designed to reduce the risk of domestic violence amongst known perpetrators. Outcome data, theoretical and clinical issues relevant to program delivery are discussed in detail.

    Domestic Violence – Working With Men provides a timely resource in the development of programs and services to reduce the risk of known perpetrators committing further acts of violence towards women.