Intersectionality and invisible victims: reflections on data challenges and vicarious trauma in femicide, family and intimate partner homicide research

Cullen, P., Dawson, M., Price, J. and Rowlands, J. 2021. Intersectionality and invisible victims: reflections on data challenges and vicarious trauma in femicide, family and intimate partner homicide research. Journal of Family Violence. 36, pp. 619-628. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-020-00243-4

TitleIntersectionality and invisible victims: reflections on data challenges and vicarious trauma in femicide, family and intimate partner homicide research
TypeJournal article
AuthorsCullen, P., Dawson, M., Price, J. and Rowlands, J.
Abstract

Rigorous, comprehensive and timely research are the cornerstone of social and transformative change. For researchers responding to femicide, family and intimate partner homicide, there are substantial challenges around accessing robust data that is complete and fully representative of the experiences and social identities of those affected. This raises questions of how certain social identities are privileged and how the lens of intersectionality may be constrained or enabled through research. Further, there is limited insight into the emotional labour and safety for researchers, and how they experience and mitigate vicarious trauma. We examine these issues through a shared critical reflection and conclude with key recommendations to address the challenges and issues identified. Four researchers examining and responding to femicide, family and intimate partner homicide in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom shared and evaluated their critical reflection. We drew on our experiences and offer insights into processes, impacts and unintended consequences of fatality reviews and research initiatives. There are substantial limitations in accessibility and completeness of data, which has unintended consequences for the construction of social identities of those affected, including how multiple forms of exclusion and structural oppression are represented. Our experiences as researchers are complex and have driven us to implement strategies to mitigate vicarious trauma. We assert that these issues can be addressed by reconceptualizing the goals of data collection and fostering collaborative discussions among those involved in data collection and violence prevention to strengthen research, prevention efforts and safety for all involved.

JournalJournal of Family Violence
Journal citation36, pp. 619-628
ISSN0885-7482
Year2021
PublisherSpringer
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-020-00243-4
PubMed ID33551548
Publication dates
Published in printJul 2021
Published online03 Feb 2021

Related outputs

Learning across statutory review practices: Origins, ambitions, and future directions
Rowlands, J. 2024. Learning across statutory review practices: Origins, ambitions, and future directions. London VISION Policy Briefing. https://doi.org/10.25383/city.26346898

Consultation response to the revised Statutory Guidance for the Conduct of Domestic Homicide Reviews
Rowlands, J., Cook, E. and Dangar, S. 2024. Consultation response to the revised Statutory Guidance for the Conduct of Domestic Homicide Reviews.

Perpetrator Involvement in Domestic Homicide Reviews in England and Wales
Rowlands, J. 2024. Perpetrator Involvement in Domestic Homicide Reviews in England and Wales. Homicide Studies. Advanced online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/10887679241247846

Naming practices in domestic homicide reviews in England and Wales
Rowlands, J. 2024. Naming practices in domestic homicide reviews in England and Wales. Families, Relationships and Societies. 13 (1), pp. 121-139. https://doi.org/10.1332/204674321x16765585870472

We need to work together to prevent domestic abuse-related suicide
Dangar, S. and Rowlands, J. 2023. We need to work together to prevent domestic abuse-related suicide. Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales.

Domestic homicide review as a site for multi-agency working and change to improve responses to domestic abuse
Rowlands, J. 2023. Domestic homicide review as a site for multi-agency working and change to improve responses to domestic abuse. Security, Crime, and Intelligence Conference. Cardiff 07 Nov - 07 Dec 2023

Consulting for Reform: The Definition and Naming of Domestic Homicide Reviews
Rowlands, J. 2023. Consulting for Reform: The Definition and Naming of Domestic Homicide Reviews. LaPSe of Reason (Blogging from the School of Law, Politics and Sociology at the University of Sussex).

Reviewing domestic abuse related deaths by suicide
Rowlands, J. 2023. Reviewing domestic abuse related deaths by suicide. 5th European Conference on Domestic Violence (ECDV). Reykjavik 11 - 13 Sep 2023

Centring LGBT domestic abuse-related deaths
Rowlands, J. 2023. Centring LGBT domestic abuse-related deaths. 5th European Conference on Domestic Violence (ECDV). Reykjavik 11 - 13 Sep 2023

Reviewing LGBTQIA+ domestic abuse-related deaths: keeping victims central
Rowlands, J. 2023. Reviewing LGBTQIA+ domestic abuse-related deaths: keeping victims central. Outside/rs 2023: Postgraduate & Community Conference. University of Sussex 09 - 11 Jun 2023

The challenges and opportunities of reviewing domestic abuse-related deaths by suicide in England and Wales
Rowlands, J. and Dangar, S. 2023. The challenges and opportunities of reviewing domestic abuse-related deaths by suicide in England and Wales. Journal of Family Violence. 39, p. 723–737. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-023-00492-z

Reviewing in a pandemic? A commentary on Covid-19 and domestic homicide review
Rowlands, J. 2023. Reviewing in a pandemic? A commentary on Covid-19 and domestic homicide review. Journal of Aggression, Conflict and Peace Research. 15 (3), pp. 201-204. https://doi.org/10.1108/jacpr-02-2022-0693

‘Illuminating the past to make the future safer?’ Exploring the potential and peril of domestic homicide reviews as a mechanism for change
Rowlands, J. 2023. ‘Illuminating the past to make the future safer?’ Exploring the potential and peril of domestic homicide reviews as a mechanism for change. PhD thesis University of Sussex

Parallels in Practice: Applying Principles of Research Integrity and Ethics in Domestic Violence Fatality Review (DVFR)
Elizabeth A. Cook, James Rowlands, Kelly Bracewell, Cassandra Jones and Grace Boughton 2023. Parallels in Practice: Applying Principles of Research Integrity and Ethics in Domestic Violence Fatality Review (DVFR). Journal of Family Violence. 38, pp. 1015-1027. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-023-00505-x

Navigating Family Involvement in Domestic Violence Fatality Review: Conceptualising Prospects for Systems and Relational Repair
Rowlands, J. and Cook, E.A. 2022. Navigating Family Involvement in Domestic Violence Fatality Review: Conceptualising Prospects for Systems and Relational Repair. Journal of Family Violence. 37, pp. 559-572. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-021-00309-x

The potential and limitations of domestic homicide review: a response to Hope et al. (2021)
Rowlands, J. 2022. The potential and limitations of domestic homicide review: a response to Hope et al. (2021). Partner Abuse. 13 (3), pp. 316-325. https://doi.org/10.1891/pa-2021-0054

Constructing fatality review: a policy analysis of the emergence of domestic homicide reviews in England and Wales
Rowlands, J. 2022. Constructing fatality review: a policy analysis of the emergence of domestic homicide reviews in England and Wales. Violence Against Women: an international and interdisciplinary journal. 28 (15-16), pp. 3657-3680. https://doi.org/10.1177/10778012211068064

Inside the black box: domestic homicide reviews as a source of data
Rowlands, J. and Bracewell, K. 2022. Inside the black box: domestic homicide reviews as a source of data. Journal of Gender-Based Violence. 6 (3), pp. 518-534. https://doi.org/10.1332/239868021x16439025360589

More Than Just a Meeting: Exploring Dialogic Space in Domestic Homicide Review
Rowlands, J. 2021. More Than Just a Meeting: Exploring Dialogic Space in Domestic Homicide Review. 4th European Conference on Domestic Violence. Ljubjana, Slovenia 13 - 15 Sep 2021

The Emotional Work of Homicide Review
Rowlands, J. 2021. The Emotional Work of Homicide Review. 4th European Conference on Domestic Violence. Ljubjana, Slovenia 13 - 15 Sep 2021

Commissioning for inclusion: delivering services for LGBT+ survivors of domestic abuse
Field, M. and Rowlands, J. 2021. Commissioning for inclusion: delivering services for LGBT+ survivors of domestic abuse. Galop.

Interviewee Transcript Review as a Tool to Improve Data Quality and Participant Confidence in Sensitive Research
Rowlands, J. 2021. Interviewee Transcript Review as a Tool to Improve Data Quality and Participant Confidence in Sensitive Research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods. 20. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069211066170

Reviewing domestic homicide - international practice and perspectives
Rowlands, J. 2020. Reviewing domestic homicide - international practice and perspectives. Winston Church Memorial Trust. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.12897.12646

The ethics of victim voice in Domestic Homicide Reviews
Rowlands, J. 2020. The ethics of victim voice in Domestic Homicide Reviews. Sentio. 2, pp. 34-41.

Barriers to making referrals of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) victim/survivors to the MARAC and recommendations for improvement
Donovan, C. and Rowlands, J. 2011. Barriers to making referrals of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) victim/survivors to the MARAC and recommendations for improvement. Safe, the Domestic Abuse Quarterly.

Assessing and managing risk among different victims of domestic abuse: limits of a generic model of risk assessment?
Robinson, A.L. and Rowlands, J. 2009. Assessing and managing risk among different victims of domestic abuse: limits of a generic model of risk assessment? Security Journal. 22, pp. 190-204. https://doi.org/10.1057/sj.2009.2

Effective responses to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans (LGBT) people experiencing domestic abuse
Rowlands, J. and Egan, R. 2009. Effective responses to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans (LGBT) people experiencing domestic abuse. Safe, the Domestic Abuse Quarterly.

The Dyn Project: supporting men experiencing domestic abuse final evaluation report
Robinson, A.L. and Rowlands, J. 2006. The Dyn Project: supporting men experiencing domestic abuse final evaluation report. Cardiff University.

Domestic Abuse Among Gay and Bisexual Men: An Exploratory Study in South Wales (Social Work Monographs)
Rowlands, J. 2006. Domestic Abuse Among Gay and Bisexual Men: An Exploratory Study in South Wales (Social Work Monographs) . University of East Anglia, Norwich.

Permalink - https://westminsterresearch.westminster.ac.uk/item/w54q8/intersectionality-and-invisible-victims-reflections-on-data-challenges-and-vicarious-trauma-in-femicide-family-and-intimate-partner-homicide-research


Share this

Usage statistics

52 total views
0 total downloads
These values cover views and downloads from WestminsterResearch and are for the period from September 2nd 2018, when this repository was created.