Participants and Design

1. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE and WOMEN WITH LEARNING DISABILITIESDr Michelle McCarthy, Siobhan Hunt & Karen Milne-Skillman Participants and Design Background Domestic Violence against women is a common social phenomenon which has profound implications for the individuals concerned as well as wider social consequences. Little or nothing is known about the experiences of women with learning disabilities in relation to domestic violence – this study aims to fill that gap in our knowledge. Nov 2012 – Jan 2013:Focus Group Meetings of women with learning disabilities held – explored domestic violence and assisted with design of interview guide. March 2013 - on-going: Interviewing sample of 20 women with learning disabilities about their experiences of domestic violence. Autumn 2013: Design of professional survey; distribution and analysis of data. April – August 2014: Publication of findings and development of specialist website and other materials on domestic violence for women with learning disabilities. Aims of Project • To explore the experiences and social care needs of women with learning disabilities who have experienced domestic violence. • To investigate the capacity of women’s refuges, police and other professionals to respond to women with learning disabilities. • To make recommendations for good practice and produce educational /training materials. Progress to July 2013 • Interviews with approximately 10 of 20 women completed. Emerging issues include: • Severity of violence, • Women’s difficult family histories, and, • Violent partners with mental health/alcohol problems, already well known to the police.