Senior Thames Valley Police officer co-author’s book on domestic abuse
The book combines academic theory with advice on practical Policing
Thames Valley Police officer Chief Superintendent Katy Barrow-Grint has collaborated on ‘Policing Domestic Abuse: Risk, Policy and Practise’ which aims to improve the practice of policing domestic abuse.
Chief Superintendent Barrow-Grint is the lead for Local Policing in Oxfordshire and has force wide responsibility for Violence Against Women and Girls.
Divided into thematic areas, the book uses recent research findings to update the theoretical analysis on domestic abuse and to highlight areas of good practice: what works and why.
Effective investigation and the prosecution of offenders is considered, as well as an evaluation of the success of current treatment options.
The book has been written in collaboration with Dr Jacqueline Sebire, a retired Assistant Chief Constable with Bedfordshire Police, Professor Jackie Turton, an Emeritus Professor in the Department of Sociology at University of Essex, and Dr Ruth Weir, a Senior Research Fellow at City, University of London.
Policing domestic abuse can only be dealt with through an effective partnership response. The book outlines the responsibilities of each agency and the statutory processes in place when policy is not adhered to.
Core content includes:
• A critique of definitions and theoretical approaches to domestic abuse, including coverage of the myths surrounding domestic abuse and their impact on policing.
• An exploration on the challenges of collecting data on domestic abuse, looking at police data and the role of health and victim support services.
• A critical review of different forms of abuse, different perpetrators and victims, and risk assessment tools used by the police.
• A critical examination of the law relating to domestic abuse; how police resources are deployed to respond to and manage it; and best practice in investigation, gathering evidence, and prosecution
• Key perspectives on preventing domestic abuse, protecting victims, and reducing harm.
Written with the student and budding practitioner in mind, the book is filled with case studies, current research, reports, and media examples, as well as a variety of reflective questions and a glossary of key terms, to help shed light on the challenges of policing domestic violence and the links between academic research and best practice.
Chief Superintendent, Katy Barrow-Grint said:
“Violence Against Women in Girls (VAWG) is one of our force priorities, and as a lead for VAWG across the force, I have a professional interest in the way domestic abuse is policed. I have been researching domestic abuse academically for nearly ten years and am delighted to have been able to contribute to this book at such an important time of focus.
“Between April and September the number of charges for sexual offences increased by 105%, rape by 8% and stalking and harassment by 45%. Formal action taken against domestic abuse offenders increased by 44%. With our lead on Domestic Abuse, Superintendent Kelly Gardner, we are hoping that learnings from the book will educate officers in how to police domestic abuse investigations.”