Issue 1,Oct, 2012 - What's new?

1. Introduction
2. VIA group meetings
3. In the news
4. Recent events
5. Upcoming events
6. Research news
7. A word from the editor
   

Introduction

Welcome to the first issue of the Violence and Interpersonal Aggression (VIA) special interest group newsletter. VIA aims to draw together academics and practitioners who have an interest in all forms of violence in order to share and inform best practice and research. We currently have more than 20 members and I am hopeful that this membership will grow over the next few months. The purpose of the newsletter is to inform group members and other interested parties about the progress that we are making in terms of understanding and preventing violence. Therefore in each issue you will find information relating to funding bids won, projects under way and completed, presentations given, events organised and publications. I am sure you will be as impressed as I am with our progress so far when reading this first issue. I also think this will be an exciting 12 months ahead for the group due to a number of events being organised including some awareness raising activities and seminars on domestic violence, and the European Association of Psychology and Law conference in September 2013. More details of these events can be found below. I hope you find this an interesting and informative read and if you have anything that you wish to include in future issues please just get in touch.

The VIA group comprises both academics and practitioners who hold a range of experience and expertise. Should your organisation require help with research relating to violence and aggression our members can help with the following: Idea development and research design; bid writing; evaluation design for interventions; intervention development and implementation; expertise relating to adult and adolescent relationship violence; expertise relating to sexual violence; expertise relating to hate crime-related violence. Our members are also trained on the Spousal Assault Risk assessment, the HCR-20 and the Risk of Sexual Violence Protocol (RSVP) should you have risk assessment training needs. Please contact me for further information if you think the group may be able to help your organisation.

Erica.

VIA group meetings

Dates for upcoming VIA meetings:

• 24th October, 2012
• 12th December, 2012
• 6th February, 2013
• 20th March, 2013
• 1st May, 2013
• 5th June, 2013
• 10th July, 2013  

All meetings are planned to be 12:00 - 13:00 in the James Starley building, Coventry University; exact room to be confirmed

In the news

1) Worrying words from the Deputy Children’s Commissioner

In evidence to the Home Affairs select committee, Deputy Children’s Commission Sue Berelowitz offered a chilling comment on the prevalence of child sexual exploitation:

‘As one police officer who was a lead in a very big investigation in a very lovely, leafy, rural part of the country said to me, there is not a town, village or hamlet in which children are not being sexually exploited’ (HC 182-i, 12.06.2012)

2) UK domestic violence definitions changed

Following a consultation launched in December 2011, the government has decided to change the definition of domestic violence to include those under 18 and psychological forms of violence. The new definition of domestic violence – due to take force in March 2013 – will read:

‘Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour,  violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are or have been intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality. This can encompass, but is not limited to, the following types of abuse:

• psychological
• physical
• sexual
• financial
• emotional

Controlling behaviour is: a range of acts designed to make a person subordinate and/or dependent by isolating them from sources of support, exploiting their resources and capacities for personal gain, depriving them of the means needed for independence, resistance and escape and regulating their everyday behaviour. Coercive behaviour is: an act or a pattern of acts of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation or other abuse that is used to harm, punish, or frighten their victim.

This definition, which is not a legal definition, includes so called 'honour’ based violence, female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage, and is clear that victims are not confined to one gender or ethnic group.’

The summary of consultation responses and planned government action can be viewed online.

1) 26^th Sept, 2012: Zero-tolerance on all forms of domestic violence, Brussels

Dr Erica Bowen recently chaired the Public Policy Exchange event ‘Zero tolerance on all forms of domestic violence: Towards comprehensive EU-wide action’ in Brussels. Delegates from 10 European countries gathered to hear presentations from Broken Rainbow, the Council of Europe, Thames Valley Partnership, the European Commission, and Coventry University. Key discussion topics included the Council of Europe convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, Broken Rainbow’s new ‘Paws’ video on domestic violence in lesbian couples, and Green Acres High; a game-based intervention for adolescent dating violence.

2) 14^th Sept, 2012: Forensic 10, Coventry

The ‘Forensic 10’ one-day conference celebrated a decade of Forensic Psychology programmes at Coventry University. Coventry staff, doctoral students, alumni, and guests presented research on topics ranging from adolescent dating violence to the influence on parole decisions of participation in offender programmes. Professors Graham Davies and Tony Beech also offered some personal reflections on the evolution of the field in the last ten years, including the role of IT in the courts and the development of neuroscientific techniques for forensic psychology. Information about Coventry University’s crime, punishment and rehabilitation researchers – as well on the Centre for Applied Research in Psychology – can be found on the university website. 

Upcoming events

1) 30^th November, 2012: Combatting all forms of domestic violence, London

Over the next 7 months Dr Erica Bowen will be chairing a series of one-day events entitled ‘Combatting all forms of domestic violence: Taking stock and looking forward’.

• 30^th Nov, 2012: Displaced populations (e.g. refugees, travellers, asylum-seekers)   
• 25^th Jan, 2013: Black and Minority Ethnic Communities
• 13^th Mar, 2013: Lesbian, Gay, Bi and Transgender Communities
• 24^th May, 2013: Adolescents

A combination of internationally respected practitioners and academics will provide cutting-edge evidence regarding the issues facing these groups with regard to the experience of domestic violence and help-seeking. Anyone with an interest in addressing domestic violence can contribute their expertise to the events, including MPs, government officials, practitioners, charities, criminal justice representatives, survivor’s charities, academics, and other stakeholders.

All seminars are free to attend and will take place either at Coventry University Technocentre or on the Coventry University London Campus. Attendance can be booked online.

2) 17^th February, 2013: Respect AGM, London

In February 2013, Respect – the UK membership association for domestic violence prevention programmes and integrated support services – will hold their Annual General Meeting in London. Attendance is open to all, although only members may vote in the AGM. Details are available on Respect’s website.

3) 2^nd September, 2013: European Association of Psychology and Law conference, Coventry

Coventry University will host the next annual conference of the European Association of Psychology and Law (EAPL) in September, 2013. Details are available on the association website

Research news

1) Karlie Stonard begins a PhD on ‘The nature role and function of technology assisted partner violence’:

What is ‘technology assisted partner violence’? Karlie describes the topic:

‘A relatively new area of research has focused on what is often termed ‘cyber aggression’, referring to the use of technology to facilitate opportunities to inflict intimate partner violence through repeated harassment and stalking behaviours intended to monitor, control, intimidate or generate fear and trepidation (Bocij 2004: 3-4; Southworth & Tucker 2006: 667; Pittaro 2007: 180; Olsen 2009: 84; Melander 2010b). This research project sets out to design a measuring instrument in order to determine the prevalence of technology assisted partner violence on a sample student aged participants in addition to qualitatively exploring the impact of this relatively uninvestigated form of victimisation.’

2) Recent publications from Coventry University academics and students

Price, S.A., Hanson, R.K., and Tagliani, L. (in press). Screening procedures in the UK for positions of trust with children. Journal of Sexual Aggression.

Bowen, E., Holdsworth, E., Leen, E., Sorbring, E., Helsing, B., Jans, S., & Awouters, V. (in press). Northern European adolescent’s attitudes towards dating violence. Violence and Victims

Walker, K.,Bowen, E & Brown, S. (in press) Desistance from intimate partner violence: A review. Aggression and Violent Behavior

Walker, K., Bowen, E., & Brown, S. (in press) Desistance from violence. Aggression and Violent Behavior

Grubb, A., & Tarn, T. (in press). An exploratory analysis of the relationship between women's rape fantasies, rape myth acceptance, rape victim empathy and rape blame attribution.  Forensic Update

Grubb, A., & Turner, E. (2012). Attribution of blame in rape cases: A review of the impact of rape myth acceptance, gender role conformity and substance use on victim blaming. Aggression and Violent Behaviour. 17(5) 443 – 452.

Liebling, H., Slegh, H. & Ruratotoye B. (2012) Women and Girls Bearing Children through Rape in Goma, Eastern Congo: Stigma, Health and Justice Responses. Itupale Online Journal of African Studies, Vol. 4, 18-44.

Liebling, H. (2012) Experiences of a young girl abducted by the Lord’s Resistance Army, Northern Uganda. Psychology of Women Section Review, 14, 1, 44-48.

Liebling-Kalifani, H. et al. (2011) Women War Survivors of the 1989-2003 Conflict in Liberia: The Impact of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence. Journal of International Women’s Studies, 12, 1, 1-21.

Erica Bowen has also recently secured a contract from Palgrave/McMillan to write a book: 'The Psychology of Violence in Adolescent Romantic Relationships'. The book is due to be completed by the end of April 2014. 

A word from the editor

The VIA newsletter has been envisioned as a tool for promoting group members’ activities and keeping all interested parties informed about upcoming events and publications. The newsletter is likely to be produced quarterly, but more frequent updates may be announced on our social networking sites (twitter, Facebook). If you have content that want included in the VIA newsletter then send it directly to me – m.mawer@coventry.ac.uk – and it will be included in the next edition. Publications, forthcoming events, important news stories or changes to procedure (e.g. legal definitions), calls for papers, and funding won are examples of content that would fit the newsletter. VIA is interested in both informing members and promoting successes, so please keep the good news rolling in!

VIA also has an about.me page that serves as a quick reference for those wanting to discover what the group is all about. On the about.me page you’ll find a brief description of the group, links to our web presence and to the latest newsletter. There is also a VIA Facebook group that will announce meetings, publications, events, and so forth in a 'real time' manner. 

Happy reading

Matt.