Inter-agency co-operation and domestic violence

Abstract

This thesis is based on research into inter-agency co-operation and domestic violence. The use of multi-agency working has been developing in recent years to tackle various social problems, and there is a growing response to Government initiatives regarding domestic violence. I have focused my attentions on the dynamics of the inter-agency groups of the Domestic Violence Forums of Durham, Liverpool and Lincolnshire whose meetings I regularly attended. The data was collected through the use of participant-observation and interviews with participating agencies. I carried out interviews with practitioners from the many agencies who work with domestic violence issues. I also had meetings with several victims and perpetrators of domestic violence. The aim of the thesis is to document and evaluate inter-agency co-operation in relation to its role in identifying and addressing the problems associated with domestic violence. The policy implications of my research are significant given the apparent lack of structured inter-agency co-operation highlighted in cases such as the Dunblane tragedy, as well as in the case of the Frederick and Rosemary West murders, each of which caused a public outcry.