BJSW Advance Access originally published online on October 18, 2005
British Journal of Social Work 2005 35(8):1321-1341; doi:10.1093/bjsw/bch230
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Giving a Voice to Women Survivors of Domestic Violence through Recognition as a Service User Group
Professor Audrey Mullender is Principal of Ruskin College, Walton Street, Oxford, OX1 2HE, UK.
Dr Gill Hague is Senior Research Fellow and director of the Domestic Violence Research Group, School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol, 8 Priory Road, Bristol, BS8 1TZ, UK.
Correspondence to Dr Gill Hague, School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol, 8 Priory Road, Bristol, BS8 1TZ, UK. E-mail: alex.mcglaughlin{at}ntu.ac.uk
Perhaps surprisingly, given the germinal role played by the womens movement, women survivors of domestic violence are not amongst those commonly conceptualized as service user groups. This paper explores why this may be the case and why it matters. It draws upon the findings of a multi-methodological study of specialist domestic violence services and of related user and professional views. It demonstrates the limitations to survivors influence within these services, some of the key obstacles women experience, and the commonalities and differences between these and the experiences of other user groups. In particular, the specific issues of women still being in the experience and of professionals who are also survivors but who feel unable to disclose this are discussed as useful contributions to the theory of service user involvement.
Keywords: domestic violence, user participation, service user group, women
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