Suchergebnisse

The cooperation of agencies as first responders to domestic abuse has attracted increased interests among researchers. Recent international guidelines, particularly the Istanbul Convention, prescribe such networking between law enforcement, local support agencies, social services, health care and other relevant professionals as a precondition for improved response towards crimes committed in families and intimate relationships. The article describes the urgency to combat domestic abuse by means of interagency cooperation, and continues with a description of the Istanbul Convention, and explains the basic dimensions of such cooperation, e.g., concerning referrals between responder agencies. The article concludes with a brief overview of present research activities in the field by a project carried out by 16 partners. The project 'IMPRODOVA' runs from 2018 to 2021 and is funded by the European Union Horizon 2020 programme.

The monograph on improving the response of first responders to domestic violence in Europe aims to identify gaps in the cooperation of first-line responders and deliver recommendations, toolkits and collaborative training for European police organizations and medical and social work professionals. The goal is to improve integrate institutional response to domestic violence. Shared training and adequate risk assessment tools will create a positive feedback loop, increasing reporting rates of domestic violence to police, the medical profession, and community and social work practitioners.

Abstract
The escalation of conflicts in intimate relationships to potentially fatal partner violence poses a massive safety risk for victims involved. In addition, separations represent a particularly vulnerable phase for the dynamics of violent escalation. Based on an analysis of court records of three cases of attempted or completed homicides in the course of intimate partner separation in Germany, we outline the conditions under which the separation process is to be assessed by the police as a high-risk phase for the escalation of violence. The study's findings suggest that police work would be more effective if measures were implemented to focus on the overall history of violence rather than on isolated cases, and if these measures were aimed directly at the perpetrators. Moreover, inter-institutional cooperation would support the police in identifying perpetrators at an early stage and carrying out valid risk assessments, rather than working in isolation. The study presents starting points and options for police prevention measures.