Increasing safety for those experiencing family and intimate relationship harm within black and minority ethnic communities by responding to those who harm

Black and minoritised women are disproportionately impacted by domestic abuse; with exposure to poverty, racism, xenophobia, and support barriers putting them at greater risk of gender-based abuse. Racialised people, including those who are perpetrating abuse, also face systemic inequalities at every stage of their involvement with statutory services – particularly with respect to the criminal justice system. Additionally, while there is a growing evidence base around perpetrator interventions, there is a gap with regards to culturally appropriate responses for people from racialised communities.

Within this key systemic gap, we know that improving responses must involve engaging effectively with those who cause harm from racially minoritised backgrounds, and ensuring that perpetrator responses are underpinned by a constant focus on increasing the safety of Black and minoritised victim-survivors.

To explore how we can best respond to this disproportionality, The Drive Partnership supported this research project by University of Suffolk and H.O.P.E Training and Consultancy to explore responses to family and intimate relationship harm within Black and minority ethnic communities.