Pioneering research by UCLan’s Honour Abuse Research Matrix (HARM), has informed new domestic abuse policy guidance for UK universities.
Dr Roxanne Khan, Director of HARM, has worked in consultation with a multidisciplinary Expert Advisory Panel renowned for their work to raise awareness of domestic abuse. Their collaborative work has resulted in the creation of the first ever domestic abuse policy guidance for UK universities.
The research has found that:
- Over 185,000 university staff and students experienced domestic abuse in the last year.
- Disabled staff and students were twice as likely to experience domestic abuse.
- 10.5% of full-time female students experienced domestic abuse in the last year.
Only 9 out of 133 UK Universities had a specific domestic abuse policy.
In most cases, there was no guidance related to domestic abuse, or domestic abuse was referred to in broader safeguarding policies. Yet policies often lacked practical advice about how to respond to reported incidents of domestic abuse.
The report explores:
- The important role universities have in responding to domestic abuse.
- Practical information about supporting someone at risk of domestic abuse.
- Information about how universities can develop and implement a domestic abuse policy.
Download the free resource: ‘Domestic Abuse Policy Guidance for UK Universities’.
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