Improving the ‘victim journey’ when reporting domestic abuse cyberstalking to the police – A pilot project evaluation

Taylor-Dunn, Holly and Erol, Rosie ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1049-9365 (2022) Improving the ‘victim journey’ when reporting domestic abuse cyberstalking to the police – A pilot project evaluation. Criminology and Criminal Justice. pp. 1-22. ISSN Print: 1748-8958 Online: 1748-8966

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Text (Open Access article) Taylor-Dunn (2022) Improving the safety and well-being of domestic abuse survivors the role of a specialist organisation in supporting the work of Independent Domestic Violence Advisors..pdf - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial. Download (177kB) | Preview

Abstract

CCriminal justice responses to stalking in England and Wales have come under increased scrutiny following the Joint Criminal Justice Inspectorate report in 2017. In response, police forces throughout England and Wales attempted to improve their handling of stalking. In one UK police force, a project was developed to improve the identification, investigation and victim journey for domestic abuse cyberstalking offences. The project included a specialist investigation team along with a dedicated and co-located Independent Domestic Violence Advisor. This article draws on research conducted during the evaluation of the project and will evidence high levels of victim engagement, positive reports from victims and a 100% success rate in obtaining restraining orders. These findings highlight the valuable role of specialist teams with integrated, independent support for victims and suggest that the victim journey can be improved through collaborative projects between the police and specialist organisations.

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