administrative registries in for violence against women

Administrative Registries in for Violence against Women

Presented by:Godfrey St. Bernard

Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic StudiesThe University of the West Indies

St. AugustineTRINIDAD AND TOBAGO. W.I.

Regional Seminar to strengthen the use of administrative records to measure violence against women in the Caribbean

ECLAC

Port-of-Spain,30 November-1st December 2010

What is Violence?

Violence is defined as follows:

The intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, mal-development or deprivation (Krug et al, 2002)

Also takes into account the outcomes of situations where power relationships are exercised to reflect neglect or evoke threat and/or intimidation

The Nature of Violent Episodes

Physical

Sexual

Psychological

Deprivation or Neglect (including financial deprivation and neglect)

The Nature of Violence

Violence can be immediate or latent and therefore not confined to injury, disability or death. The effects can last for years after the violent episode is committed

A Typology of Violence

Violence declared to be a leading public health problem in 1996 resolution of the World Health Assembly

Three broad categories of violence:

Self Directed Violence Interpersonal Violence Collective Violence

Shaping the Agenda for Domestic Violence

International fora 1993 Conference on Human Rights 1994 International Conference on Population and

Development in Cairo, Egypt 1995 Women and Development Conference in

Beijing, China

Reinforced the crisis that has emerged in the context of violence against women and domestic violence in primary group settings around the world.

Domestic Violence

Domestic violence is a phenomenon that is predicated upon “anomie” characterizing a social relationship between at least two individuals within a “domestic group”

Domestic violence as functional pre-requirement within social structures

Defining Domestic Violence

Any violence that takes place in or outside the home between family and household members or partners in existing or previous relationships. It can include mental/emotional, sexual and physical violence (James, 1997).


In the context of Antigua and Barbuda and St. Lucia domestic violence is defined as follows:

Any act of violence whether physical or verbal abuse perpetrated by a member of a household upon a member of a household which causes or is likely to cause physical, mental or emotional injury or harm to the abused party or other members of the household

See Work by Clarke (2001)


However, the 1999 Domestic Violence Act in Trinidad and Tobago has offered a definition which is as follows:

Physical, sexual, emotional or psychological or financial abuse committed by a person against a spouse, child, any other person who is a member of the household or dependent.

See Work by Clarke (2001)

A Typology of Violence with Reference to VAW

Interpersonal Violence•Family/Partner •Child, Partner, Elder

Self Directed Violence•Suicidal Behaviour (thoughts, attempts etc)•Self Abuse (Self mutilation)

Collective Violence•Social (Mob violence, Hate Crimes, Terrorism)•Political (War and State Violence)•Economic (Motivated by a need to secure economic gain)

Interpersonal Violence•Community•Acquaintance, Stranger

CEPAL

This repeats diapositive No 6 - may be you could keep only this one (No 12).

Defining Violence Against Women

The United Nations 1993 Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women defines violence against women as:

Any act of gender–based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats to such acts, coercion and arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life


Interpersonal Violence•Domestic Context – Spouse/Partner/Ex-Spouse/Ex-Partner

• Child, Youth, Adult, Elder•Physical•Sexual including marital rape, female genital mutilation•Psychological•Financial – restricted access to inheritance and other forms of economic violence largely perpetrated by men against women


Interpersonal Violence•Community Context - School/ Workplace/Other Settings

• Acquaintance/Date/Stranger•Physical violence•Sexual – sexual abuse, sexual harassment, rape, •Psychological including intimidation, stalking•Financial – restricted access to material resources such as employment opportunities, payment for work done•Trafficking in Women•Forced sex work

Conceptual Issues

Definitional Issues

Physical abuse is reflected in behaviour such as pushing, shoving, hitting, beating, torture and murder

Sexual abuse refers to any form of non-consensual sexual activity such as unwanted sexual fondling, rape and incest.

Conceptual Issues

Definitional Issues (Canadian National Action Plan 1993)

Emotional abuse which refers to a range of tactics to deflate an individual’s self confidence including insults, jeers and abusive language

Conceptual Issues

Definitional Issues (Canadian National Action Plan 1993

It includes threats of physical violence or isolation, the deliberate withholding of emotional support and the control of all social relationships.

The Nature of Violence

Violence poses a burden on the following: Individuals Families Communities Health care systems

Violence can be perpetrated against: Men Women Children Elderly

Measuring Violence and Its Impact

Data are needed to:

Measure the magnitude and impact of domestic violence and violence against women

Understand the factors that increase the risk of violent victimization and perpetration

Obtain knowledge about the effectiveness and efficiency of violence prevention programmes

Sources of Data on Violence

Mortality Data Homicide data from vital registration

Medical Records Nature and gravity of Violence-related injury Frequency of injury Injury surveillance

Police Records Characteristics of victims, perpetrators, informants,

episode, past episodes Crime data on violent events


Population Census Community data on population characteristics

Victimization Survey Self Reported Data – attitudes, beliefs, behaviour,

cultural practices, victimization and exposure to violence

Hotline and Service Providers Characteristics of victims, perpetrators, informants,

episode, past episodes Crime data on violent events


Justice Systems Victim and perpetrator characteristics Restraining orders: yes/no Charges/Arrests made: yes/no Prosecution: yes/no Conviction: yes/no Nature of penalty Duration times to legal proceedings

Problems with Obtaining Data on Violence

Unavailability of the Data

Threats to Data Quality

Prospects for Harmonization of Concepts across Data sources

Threats to Assurances of Confidentiality and Anonymity regarding Data Collection Protocols

Prospect of Exposure to Physical Harm

Unavailability of Input Data

Confidentiality clauses are a main handicap such as in the case of service providers and the courts

Data systems do not adequately permit the collection of micro level on violence-related events

Statistical classifications for legal outcomes have not been properly developed and militate against systematic data collection


Challenges due to recording and classification of data on episodes

Are they adhering to appropriate classification standards?

Who is recording observations and how well trained are they?

What data preparation standards are embraced to improve data quality?

How do agency specific objectives impact the prospect of harmonization?

To what extent are the data amenable to research objectives


Challenges due to the reporting of episodes

Is the victim responding under duress and unable to provide all of the details?

Has the same episode been reported to more than one agency?

Has the same episode been reported by more than one informant?

Are informants knowledgeable about all the details in the case, especially those who are neighbours or relatives of victims/perpetrators?


Challenges due to the reporting of episodes

How do memory lapses and recall among informants impact non-response?

How do informants’ “definition of the situation” impact their propensity to report. This may vary according to the nature of the violence

Informants’ perception of the preservation of confidentiality and anonymity of the data gathering process

Threats to Data Quality Challenges due to data preparation and analysis

What data preparation standards are embraced to improve data quality?

How well trained are registry staff in research methodology?

How well trained are registry staff in statistical analysis?

How well trained are registry staff in using statistical software applications?

How well trained are registry staff in managing statistical data files?

Is it possible to reconcile multiple counting?

Units of Analysis

Who/What are the targets of interventions

Victims Perpetrators Incident Domestic Unit

Units of Analysis

We are really collecting data about episodes reported in a given period

Periodicities become a challenge as there is not likely to be knowledge of the exact time/date when an episode of violence occurred

Irrespective of our unit of analysis, one has to be careful with analyses of episodes to periodicities

Units of Analysis

For each of the units, there is a real population

Serious threats that introduce bias include: Definitional issues Denial The conception of the domestic setting Methodological artifacts

The Rationale for a Central Registry

Domestic violence and violence against women as a scourge

There is a need to reduce the prevalence of domestic violence and violence against women

There is need to establish mechanisms to access reliable data to learn more about the principal targets for which some kind of intervention is necessary

The Rationale for a Central Registry

Multiple data sources produce complementary data

However, such data vary in reliability and intended purpose

There is great difficulty reconciling data that emerge out of the disparate sources

Central Registry as a main co-ordinating agency

Enumerating Violence

Administrative data Domestic Violence Hotline Police Health Authorities Shelters Child Welfare Units Shelters/Halfway Houses Justice Systems

Enumerating Domestic Violence

Specialized Surveys with modules on victimization

Sexual and Reproductive Health Surveys

Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey

Department of Justice, Victoria, Australia

Has established a system for reporting on family violence in Victoria, Australia

Has published “Measuring Family Violence in Victoria” which the system commenced in 1999

The latest, Volume 4, was published in December 2009

Now contains data for the past decade

;

Department of Justice, Victoria, Australia

•The database, now administered by the Victims Support Agency in the Department of Justice, incorporates data from:

•Victoria Police family violence incident reports •Victorian Magistrates’ and Children's Court finalized intervention order applications •Victorian Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) •Data from Victorian Public Hospital Emergency Departments •The Department of Justice Victims of Crime Helpline •The Department of Human Services Integrated Reporting and Information System (IRIS)

Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics

Has published “Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile” since 1998

Provides information about family violence issues in Canada including the nature and scope of violent episodes and their respective trend across time

The latest was published in 2009, the twelfth edition


•The database is administered by the Victims Support Agency and obtains data from:

•Incidence-Based Uniform Crime Reporting Survey•Commenced in 1962. Detailed coverage of incidents reported to the police particularly in the context of victims, the accused and the incidents. Targets 153 police services accounting for 94% of Canada’s population.

•Homicide Survey•homicide data on episodes, victims, the accused since 1961. Since 1974, this has been also collected for family homicide

•Transition Home Survey• A census survey administered by Statistics Canada collecting data on the characteristics of such homes during a 12-month period. Also collects data on the characteristics of the clients on a specified day


• Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (CIS)

• Bell Canada Child Welfare Research Unit at the University of Toronto. Targeted children and their families visiting child welfare services units over the survey period. Collected data on maltreatment in areas such as physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect and emotional abuse

• Hospital Morbidity Database•Classify in-patient cases by diagnosis separated by discharge or death.•Produced by Statistics Canada since 1960 and done by the Canadian Institute for Health Information since 1994/1995

•General Social Survey on Victimization•Target population are all persons 15 years or older living in non-institutionalized settings•Victimization cycles of the GSS were done in 1988, 1993, 1999 and 2004

Ministry of Health Belize

• Manages the National Health Information System (NHIS)

•Gender Based Surveillance is a component of the NHIS in Belize

•Permits the collection of data on domestic violence at health centres

•Permits the collection of data on homicide, child abuse and rape outside the home

•Data captured on a standardized forms within an integrated decentralized system

•There are six District Health Information Units that produce local reports

•Central Registry in Belmopan that produces national report

•Principal users of the data are the Ministry of Health, the Police, the Women’s Bureau and Human Services, to name a few

Gender Based Violence Surveillance Structure Belize

National Health Info. Unit (M.O.H.)

Data Transfer

District Info. Unit(M.O.H.)

RegistrationForm

M.O.H. M. H. D. Police Dept.

U S E R S

U S E R S

National Quarterly Reports

District Monthly Reports

Source: Francis, 2006

The Case of Trinidad and Tobago

A multiplicity of agencies with their own independent systems for collecting data on domestic violence

There is no centralized system assembling the data from disparate sources


Most of the agencies also collected agency-specific data that fit within their respective programmatic agendas

Not surprisingly, there was some concern about the quality and the reliability of the data.


State Agencies collecting relevant data: The Domestic Violence Unit (DVU) in the Gender Affairs Unit Probation Services\ The Police - Crime and Problem Analysis Unit The Central Statistical Office Ministry of Education, Guidance Unit Ministry of Health (Medical Records, Injury Surveillance) National Family Services Family Court Magistrates Court


Non-Government Organizations collecting relevant data:

The Rape Crisis Society The Coalition against Domestic Violence Shelters for Battered Women Children’s homes Private hospitals


The standard form was divided into seven sections (A-G) that were as follows:

Section A: Agency Name and demographicsSection B: Demographic Details of Offspring/ParentsSection C: Current Medical Profile of the ClientSection D: Employment Characteristics of the ClientSection E: Educational Characteristics of the ClientSection F: Demographic Sketch of the PerpetratorSection G: Remedial Action/Abuse Characteristics

SECTION A Name of Agency/Shelter, Client’s Name, Client’s Address, Client’s Age (DOB) Date Admitted, Contact Numbers, NIS Number, Ethnicity, Religion, Union/Civil Status, Next of Kin – Victim as the reference unitSECTION B Demographics of Offspring, Medical Profile of Offspring – Victim as the reference UnitSECTION C Prevalence of Degenerative Diseases, Prevalence of Physical Ailments Prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Infections, Pregnancy Status – Victim As the reference unitSECTION D Employment Status, Occupation, Full-Time/Part-Time Status, Aspirations Victim as the reference unitSECTION E Educational Attainment, Educational Qualifications, Special Skills – Victim As the reference unitSECTION F Perpetrator’s Name, Perpetrator’s Address, Perpetrator’s Age (DOB), Perpetrator’s Employment Status – Victim as the reference unit SECTION G Remedial Action – Home leaving motivations and practices, Exposure to Shelter Referrals Incidents – Form of Abuse (Current), Prior Abuse, Presence of Restraining Order

Standard Data Collection Form for Trinidad and Tobago - Main Items

VICTIMS' STATUS ACCUSED STATUS CIRCUMSTANCES OCCUPATION

DIVISION STATION DATEREP. DET. AGE SEX

ETHNICITY

RELATION AGE SEX

ETHNICITY MEANS

WEAPON PROBABLE VICTIM

ACCUSED

TO

VICTIM EMPLOYED USED CAUSE C/F 30 5

N/Eastern Morvant

21.09.05 1 0 27 M African

unknown Gunshot

Firearm

State Witness unknown

Morvant23.09.

05 1 0 25 M Africanunknow

n GunshotFirear

mGang

Related unknown

Morvant26.09.

05 1 0 23 F Africanunknow

n GunshotFirear

mGang

Related unknown

Morvant28.09.


n GunshotFirear

m unknown unknown

Morvant23.09.


n GunshotFirear

mGang

Related unknown

San Juan

29.09.05 1 0 M E/Indian

unknown Gunshot

Firearm unknown unknown

Baratari

a24.09.


n GunshotFirear

mGang

Related unknown

Baratari

a24.09.


n GunshotFirear

mGang

Related unknown

Baratari

a25.09.

05 1 0 44 F Africanunknow

n Strangulat

ion Hand D/Violence unknown

Maracas26.09.


n GunshotFirear

m RobberyTaxi

Driver TOTAL 40 5

DATA ON MURDERS FOR SEPTEMBER 2005

Homicide Data from CAPA Example for Input into Violence Against

Women Data File

Conceptual Issues

What can we count in our national setting? Are we counting any of the following?

Victims, Perpetrators, Incident, Domestic Unit

How to classify the domestic group? Intra-familial , intra-residential

How to treat with multiple counting? Social insurance number, National identification number Birth date combined with codes for other ascriptive

characteristics

Analytical Issues

We would like to combine variable from the following domains to build, test and explore explanatory models:

Family services, religious organizations, children’s homes, safe homes, Domestic Violence Hot Line, Health Care Services, Police, Courts

May not be possible due to the unavailability of input data and threats to data quality

Data Collection

Simple form that should emerge out of a pilot test and be tested further for utility

Data collection form should be completed and submitted monthly Thus there is likely to be a need for dedicated field

and/or IT staff

The need for a website interface to Central Registry

CEPAL

ABSOLUTELY. MAYBE YOU COULD DEDICATED ONE OR TWO DIAPOSITIVES ON THIS ISSUE. This is would be the ideal situation where the system could capture the information of a new case of violence that affect the same victim or is perpetred by the same agressor, even when the information enters different entry points in the system.

Data Quality

Training of officers/staff in issues pertaining to the principal requirements of the Central Registry

Providers of agency data, Central Registry

Training of staff in the principles of statistical analysis and data management

Central Registry

Trainees become trainers of the next generation

Data Management

Placement of Central Registry National Statistical Office – expertise and subject matter Ministry of Health – apparent success of Belize model Gender Affairs – dedication and commitment

Data Management

Apart from managing disparate data files pertaining to domestic violence/violence against women

The Central Registry should also act as a repository for related research of all kind, especially research using registry data

Concluding Statements

In creating a Central Registry to provide information on violence against women, it is therefore important to:

Determine the location of the Registry Obtain conceptual clarity regarding the different forms

of violence from the standpoint of the main units of analysis

Be guided by some framework for engaging analyses in the context of policy prescriptions

Concluding Statements

In creating a Central Registry to provide information on violence against women, it is therefore important to:

Consider data collection challenges and propose strategies to overcome them

Implement strategies to assure the reinforcement and sustenance of high quality data on violence against women

Develop a plan to facilitate data processing, data management and data dissemination

The End

CEPAL

Maybe this diapositive could give some website references that could be interesting to consult - since your presentation will be put online on ECLAC webpage together with the information of the meeting.

administrative registries in for violence against women

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