Supporting Lives Free From Intimate Partner Violence Towards Better Integration Of Services For Victims Survivors

Many OECD governments regularly identify violence against women as the top gender equality issue their country faces. Yet in all countries, addressing this multifaceted issue presents serious governance and implementation challenges as victims/survivors have complex needs both during and after experiences of violence.

This report promotes a comprehensive approach to breaking the cycle of gender-based violence by combining insights from recent OECD work with robust evidence from surveys and questionnaires conducted in OECD Member countries.

OECD countries continue to face persistent gender inequalities in social and economic life. Young women often reach higher levels of education than young men, but remain under-represented in fields with the most lucrative careers.

What are the root causes of gender inequality? Building on the fifth edition of the Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI), the SIGI 2023 Global Report provides a global outlook of discriminatory social institutions, the fundamental causes of gender inequality. It reveals how formal and informal laws, social norms and practices limit women’s and girls’ rights and opportunities in all aspects of their lives.

This report uses the OECD Well-being Framework to systematically review how people’s economic, social, relational, civic and environmental experiences shape and are, in turn, shaped by their mental health. Based on this evidence, examples of co-benefits, or policy interventions that can jointly improve both mental health and other well-being outcomes, are identified for a range of government departments.

Intimate Partner Sexual Violence (IPSV) is the most common type of sexual violence and a common component of domestic violence, yet most cases go unreported and service responses are often inadequate. This book brings together advice for all those professionals working with individuals who have experienced IPSV and puts forward recommendations to tackle this prevalent form of sexual violence. With contributions from leading experts on IPSV, Intimate Partner Sexual Violence is a comprehensive guide to the subject which bridges the gap between research and practice. Multidisciplinary and international in approach, the book covers key issues salient to all professionals - the impact of IPSV, reproductive coercion, the physical and psychological indicators, possible consequences of taking a case to court, and best practice service responses. One section also addresses the risks and needs of IPSV victims in different contexts, such as those in same-sex or teenage relationships, immigrant victims, and those living in rural areas or in prison. This is an authoritative resource for all professionals who work with IPSV victims including counselors, social workers, refuge workers, victim advocates, mental health professionals, pastoral workers, lawyers, police, and health practitioners.

According to global survey data, 30 percent of women who have ever been in a relationship have experienced physical and/or sexual violence, perpetrated by their intimate partner. In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), it is estimated that 29.8 percent of ever partnered women have been physically or sexually abused by their partners. This report leverages insights from the behavioral sciences, including behavioral economics, social psychology and neuroscience, to provide recommendations to improve the design of survivor services in the LAC region and, ultimately, to lead to better life outcomes for women. We aim to provide policymakers and service providers alike with: 1) A diagnosis informed by qualitative research of potential behavioral barriers that service providers and survivors face in the process of delivering and accessing services, respectively; and 2) Proposed interventions ideas, informed by a review of the behavioral science literature, that can be tailored to existing services and evaluated for impact.

Domestic Violence Against Men and Boys: Experiences of Male Victims of Intimate Partner Violence is a unique book that brings together contemporary research and practice around working with men and boys who are victims of domestic violence and abuse. The book features contributions from experts within the field who draw on the wide range of evidence that demonstrates the multifarious experiences and impacts of this victimisation. This text focusses on the increasing evidence related to the prevalence of domestic violence and abuse within the family towards men and boys. With contributions from experts within the field, this book covers a comprehensive list of topics derived from empirical evidence. The chapters focus on key themes, such as, experience of the abuse; challenges to the current theory; barriers and experiences of help-seeking; impact on children, and working with male victims within practice and criminal justice settings. Further, the text underscores numerous recommendations around changing current practices to enable a better support system for men and boys. The text will therefore be invaluable in increasing awareness of the research and support in the field of domestic violence. This book will be of use to researchers, practitioners and educators working in the field of domestic violence and abuse. It will also be beneficial to policy makers who are reviewing legislation and those involved in commissioning psychological services, and victim services that work with male victims.