Domestic Abuse Special Interest Group

This working group has been established as domestic abuse has emerged as a central area of need at the ABI Justice network meetings. The working group is accountable to the ABI Justice Network and will report on progress and updates at the Network’s quarterly meetings. The working group will cover the whole spectrum of issues related to ABI, domestic abuse, and the criminal justice system, and adopt an inclusive approach to understanding and addressing these issues in partnership with the ABI Justice Network and other stakeholders. We will implement our strategic objectives in relation to both survivors and perpetrators of domestic abuse who are in contact with the criminal justice system, and recognise that at times there may be crossover between these groups. We aim to add value to existing work in this space by collaborating with other organisations outside the ABI Justice Network.

Our strategic objectives are as follows:

1. Recognising and understanding the intersection between Domestic Abuse, ABI, and the Criminal Justice System.
2. To identify gaps in this evidence base and seek opportunities to address them.
3. To advocate for better data collection on the prevalence of and needs resulting from ABI within the criminal justice system.
4. To provide information to and support activity of parliamentarians, government departments and the criminal justice sector on matters relating to Domestic Abuse and ABI, including by advocating for and giving voice to those with lived experience of Domestic Abuse and ABI.
5. To contribute to evidence about what effective practice looks like for this group.
6. To establish a wider community of interest who may be interested in our dissemination/outputs.

Further Information

• Members of the Network wrote a blog (led by Charlotte Curness) discussing the need to address the links between Brain Injury and Domestic Abuse for women in prison for the Domestic Abuse Commissioner - you can read it here.
• Brainkind have developed a short, accessible screening tool for brain injury that is free to use, called the BISI. You can register to use it here.
• An Independent article provides insights from the perspectives of those with lived experience – you can read it here.
• Further research and resources related to the connection between Acquired Brain Injury and Domestic Abuse can be found here.
• Brain kind published a report recently finding that 80% of women in the criminal justice system in Wals may be living with a brain injury - read the full report here.
• You can hear Thea Arch and Stephanie Bechelet from Brainkind discuss the report with Lilly Lewis from One Small Thing here (Season 5, Episode 3).