Paper in Social Science and Medicine Journal focuses on relationship trajectories of women experiencing alcohol-related intimate partner violence

 

Using a grounded theory approach the researchers analysed 18 in-depth interviews with women (who reported feeling afraid of their male partner when he had been drinking). Researchers identified key processes underpinning the women’s experiences and four relationships phases. These included Partner alcohol use played a key role in how women interpreted and dealt with IPV victimisation.

In early relationships, women spoke of not seeing or dismissing early warning signs of problem drinking and aggression in settings that normalized men’s heavy drinking. Later, women identified patterns of inter-connected drinking and aggression. This led to their questioning their reality while trying to ‘fix’ their partner’s drinking to stop the abuse. When change did not occur they learnt to manage daily life around the drinking and abuse. In the third phase, giving up hope that the partner would stop drinking,  the women then ended the relationship. Finally, after leaving the abuser, women attempted to reset normal ideas around drinking behaviour but they reported continued trauma when exposed to drinking situations.

You can access the journal article here.

For Baby’s Sake video launched to highlight working with parents to prevent intergenerational violence

 

The charity For Baby’s Sake have launched a video focusing on parenting, babies and domestic violence. Emma Lazenby a film maker from Bristol worked with the charity to use a couple’s individual testimonies to highlight how the charity is working with parents to stop the intergenerational transmission of violence. Baby’s Sake Programme works with the whole family to deal with trauma and the complex needs that are often not addressed for parents who are born into dysfunctional and abusive relationships.

For Baby’s Sake programme has been running since 2015, an evaluation led by King’s College London and published in May 2020, identified it as the first programme of its kind to ‘fill an important gap in provision’ through its ‘unique approach’, working with the whole family and starting in pregnancy, when babies need protection and parents are motivated to change.

You can access the video here.