Project coordinators Belgian- European project ‘An inter- and multidisciplinary approach of tackling domestic violence’

Daniël Bollen & Dries Wyckmans

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Domestic ViolenceTackled in Partnership

A comprehensive regional approach

in the Province of Limburg

Province of Limburg

1.TexteLimburg =

• Belgian Province

• in Flanders

• between Antwerp, Liège and Maastricht

• 820.000 inhabitants

• capital = Hasselt

Immediate cause for the project

• Increase of offences of domestic violence• Serious incidents and family tragedies• 14% of police reports = domestic violence

Provincial project domestic violence

• Set up end of 2004• Priority on the agenda • Police, justice and assistance• Way of acting more effective and efficient• In a preventive, curative and repressive manner

Partnership

• Between police, justice and assistance -> Sectors that normally don’t work so closely together !

Partnership

• Written scenario:

• simple and transparent working process• a standard record form• a referring form

Standard record form

Referring form

DOORVERWIJSFORMULIERO DRINGEND O ONTHAALPUNT PARTNERGEWELD

Fax: ……………………..O SLACHTOFFERHULP

Fax: ……………………..

Notitienr:............................ dd ....../......./..........

Lokale Politie: Adres:Fax: Contactpersoon:

PERSOON A PERSOON BNaam en voornaamAdres

Telefoonnummer

JA NEEN JA NEENU heeft reeds hulp gezocht? O O O OZo JA: bij wie?

Is deze nog lopende? О O O O

A solution without violence

• Police (is trained to) call in assistance fast• Need for sufficient

accommodation facilities

• Project ‘Relief points domestic violence’-> September 2006

Relief points domestic violence

• For individuals and couples confronted with partner violence

• Relief point =

• approaching assistance techniques• demand, information and advice • immediate psychosocial (crisis) assistance -> time-

out method• referred to further counselling or therapy

Relief points domestic violence

• Relief in different steps:

• police intervenes • police faxes a referring form signed by the persons

involved• social workers contact them within 5 working days

and invite them • police is informed afterwards, and sends complete

record to public prosecutor

Partnership: schematic presentation

proposal counselling

criminal offenceor family quarrel

serious assaultor children in danger

couple doesn’t agree

couple agrees

broken off

Justice

• Prosecution policy aimed at an alternative settlement

• Guide the partners to a solution without violence• When unsuccessful or when

problems are too serious, prosecution is considered

Results & evaluation relief points

• Anually +/- 1200 clients referred to relief points:

• couples: 54 %• ex-couples: 27 %• individuals: 19 %

Results & evaluation relief points

• Reported types of violence:

• combination physical - psychological violence: 49 %• psychological violence / threats: 8 %• physical violence: 6 %• non-compliance with the right of acces: 5 %• stalking: 3 %• sexual violence: 1 %• domestic quarrel: 1 %• elder abuse: 1 %• unknown: 26 %

Results & evaluation relief points

• Of the +/- 1200 clients that are referred:

• 57 % complies with assistance• 43 % doesn’t comply with assistance (refusal,

language problem, …)

Results & evaluation relief points

• Of the 57 % that complied with assistance:

• 41 % was assisted with oriented referring• 14 % was assisted -> completed or ungoing• 32 % has started the assistance but has pulled out• 13 % wasn’t reached or still had to be contacted

Prevention & sensitization

• 9 target groups:

Prevention program: example

• Target group ‘pregnancy & young parenthood’:

• 3 to 8 % = victim during pregnancy• brochure with practical advice for young parents • concrete handles for health professionals: referral

slip and training

Prevention program: example

• Target group ‘separating couples’:

• fight the number of ugly divorces• promotion of mediation • practical guide on the subtleties of

the elaboration of a conflict avoiding residence and visiting arrangement

Major strenghts of the Limburg approach

• Domestic violence is taken very seriously• A far-reaching intersectoral collaboration• A lot more police reports (+ 300 % in

comparison with 2000): mostly due to sensitization of police officers & victims

• Emphasis on a curative approach & prevention• Less escalation, less recidivism

Needs for improvement

• Long-term and intensive case management of the family system

• More cooperation with mental healthcare (personality disorders)

• Approaching migrants (preventive, curative)• Prevention of intergenerational transmission• Legislation: temporary barring order?

European project

• European Commission: action grant ‘Prevention of and fight against crime 2009’:

• goal = development of European scenario and training programme, according to the optimization of the inter- and multidisciplinary approach of domestic violence in different European Member States

• European training seminar in September 2012

European project

• Development entry plan, scenario, website and training programme through:

• scientific research and evaluation• exchange of work experiences and best practices

with international project partners -> Hungary, The Netherlands, Spain and Sweden

European project

• Development innovative working methods:

• prevention program for young people -> relationship knowledge and skills (based on Canadian ‘Fourth R program’)

• optimization of relief points domestic violence within general welfare

• perpetrator therapy

Conclusion

An inter- an multidisciplinary approach on a regional level can be most effective in

tackling domestic violence!

Please do contact us for more information!

limburg.be/domesticviolence

domesticviolence@limburg.be

• Daniël BollenT: 0032 11 30 57 43

• Dries WyckmansT: 0032 11 23 80 46