A grant of £46,938 has been awarded to University of Bristol for a 15-month study to investigate domestic violence and abuse (DVA) in UK military families. The research will investigate what criteria might constitute specialist DVA provision for this group, and what service providers, if any, already meet these criteria, in order to help improve signposting to the service providers best placed to meet the needs of UK military families suffering DVA.

The first stage of the project involves talking to people who currently provide, use and refer to specialist DVA services, in order to help build a picture of what specialist DVA support for UK military families might look like. The second stage involves sharing the findings with UK Refuges Online – a long-established, government-funded online resource used by the sector to identify DVA services. By linking to this resource, the project will leave a legacy of support as the military families specialism will be integrated within UK Refuges Online as a permanent category.

The project will be conducted by Dr Emma Williamson, Senior Research Fellow and Head of Centre for Gender and Violence Research, at the University of Bristol.

Dr Emma Williamson said: “This is a really exciting project which builds on previous research and will result in better signposting of military families to specialist domestic violence provision across the UK.  Working with Women’s Aid, England, this research project is concerned with showcasing existing good practice, and directing those in need to it.”
Ray Lock, Chief Executive of the Forces in Mind Trust, said: “Currently there is no population-based evidence about the specific prevalence of DVA amongst military families in the UK. What we postulate, based on international research, is that such populations have higher rates of more severe forms of DVA compared to civilian populations, with a particular relation to combat exposure. Supporting these findings, UK research has shown that 12.6% of military personnel reported engaging in violent behaviours on their return from active military service, with an increased association between combat roles and the likelihood of violence. The completion of this project, being of both a research-based and practical nature, will help ensure that a small but vulnerable cohort can be supported by, and swiftly directed to, the most appropriate DVA service provision for their specific needs, whether still in service or during the transition to civilian life.”

ENDS

Ray Lock is available for interviews. To arrange an interview please contact Kate Turner at kturner@theproffice.com or on 07919 887 036 or 0207 284 6944.

To arrange an interview with Dr Emma Williamson please contact Caroline Clancy at caroline.clancy@bristol.ac.uk, tel 0117 331 8021.

About the Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT):

FiMT came about from a partnership between the Big Lottery Fund (‘the Fund’), Cobseo (The Confederation of Service Charities) and other charities and organisations.  FiMT continues the Fund’s long-standing legacy of support for veterans across the UK with an endowment of £35 million awarded in 2012.  http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/.

The mission of FiMT is to enable ex-Service personnel and their families make a successful and sustainable transition to civilian life, and it delivers this mission by generating an evidence base that influences and underpins policy making and service delivery.

FiMT awards grants (for both responsive and commissioned work) to support its change model around 6 outcomes in the following areas: Housing; Employment; Health and wellbeing; Finance; Criminal Justice System; and Relationships.

All work is published in open access and hosted on the Veterans’ Research Hub.  A high standard of reportage is demanded of all grant holders so as to provide a credible evidence base from which better informed decisions can be made.

Useful links

Website: www.fim-trust.org

Reports: www.fim-trust.org/reports/

Who we have helped: www.fim-trust.org/who-we-have-helped/

Twitter: @FIMtrust

About the Mental Health Research Programme: www.fim-trust.org/mental-health/research-programme/