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“Put bluntly, they are targeted by the worst creeps society has to offer”: Police and professionals’ views and actions relating to domestic violence and women with intellectual disabilities

McCarthy, Michelle, Bates, Claire, Triantafyllopoulou, Paraskevi, Hunt, Siobhan, Milne Skillman, Karen (2019) “Put bluntly, they are targeted by the worst creeps society has to offer”: Police and professionals’ views and actions relating to domestic violence and women with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 32 (1). pp. 71-81. ISSN 1360-2322. E-ISSN 1468-3148. (doi:10.1111/jar.12503) (KAR id:67228)

Abstract

Background: Little is known about the attitudes and practices of key personnel towards the domestic violence experienced by women with intellectual disabilities.

Method: An online survey was conducted of Police officers and health and social care professionals. A total of 717 Police and other professionals across a wide variety of UK sites responded. Research questions were focussed on direct experience, attitudes and responses.

Results: Approximately half of all respondents had direct experience of working with a woman with intellectual disabilities who had been through domestic violence. Professionals were more likely than the Police to see women with intellectual disabilities as being especially vulnerable. The majority of both professionals and Police believed women with intellectual disabilities were deliberately targeted by violent and abusive men.

Conclusions: More training is needed for both the Police and health and social care professionals specifically in domestic violence as it affects women with intellectual disabilities.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1111/jar.12503
Uncontrolled keywords: Domestic violence, Women with intellectual disabilities, Attitude survey
Subjects: H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Women
Divisions: Divisions > Division for the Study of Law, Society and Social Justice > School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research > Tizard
Depositing User: Michelle McCarthy
Date Deposited: 07 Jun 2018 09:39 UTC
Last Modified: 08 Dec 2022 21:16 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/67228 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

McCarthy, Michelle.

Creator's ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1358-2516
CReDIT Contributor Roles:

Bates, Claire.

Creator's ORCID:
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Triantafyllopoulou, Paraskevi.

Creator's ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0946-5088
CReDIT Contributor Roles:

Hunt, Siobhan.

Creator's ORCID:
CReDIT Contributor Roles:

Milne Skillman, Karen.

Creator's ORCID:
CReDIT Contributor Roles:
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