The Open University Business School

You are here

  1. Home
  2. Research
  3. Research projects
  4. Addressing police-perpetrated domestic violence: A process evaluation

Addressing police-perpetrated domestic violence: A process evaluation

Lead police partners involved

South Wales, Gwent Police 

Academic leads involved

  • Dr. Emma Williams (CPRL, OU)
  • Dr. Nicky Miller (CPRL, OU)
  • Dr. Clare Rawdin (CPRL, OU)
  • The Principal Investigator is Dr. Sarah Williams (Senior Research Fellow, University of South Wales)

Following a number of high-profile cases, police-perpetrated domestic abuse is a key issue within contemporary policing and connects to wider debates over trust and legitimacy. This project will investigate an initiative to support victim-survivors of police-perpetrated domestic abuse. The intervention consists of a two-year pilot service offering emotional support and advocacy for survivors of police perpetrated violence against women, domestic abuse, and sexual violence (PP-VAWDASV). The service (called Tabw) is being delivered by regional domestic abuse charities in two Welsh police force areas (Gwent and South Wales). The project’s overall aims are to inform the evidence-base relating to interventions in the domestic abuse area, while also enabling shared learning within and beyond the two featured police force areas.

Through a series of workshops, the OU team consulted with project partners and stakeholders to co-produce a Theory of Change (ToC) to explain how the pilot service works. Key outcomes for the project included a ‘victim-focused delivery’ and ‘working in trusted partnership’. Additionally, OU researchers assisted with conducting and analysing interviews with stakeholders and victim-survivors to gain their perspectives on the intervention. Early analysis of this data shows a ‘survivor first’ service that is ‘bespoke’ in nature and is working to ‘build relationships’, especially with policing partners. While a number of challenges remain for the service to overcome, initial findings suggest that some of the ToC outcomes are being achieved. 

Outputs

The PI has written an interim report and the ToC has been produced. Early findings have been shared with project partners and stakeholders at a workshop in Wales (April, 2024), with a planned symposium in June. Future outputs include an implementation guidance document and publications in peer-reviewed journals.