Many OECD governments regularly identify violence against women as the top gender equality issue their country faces. Yet in all countries, addressing this multifaceted issue presents serious governance and implementation challenges as victims/survivors have complex needs both during and after experiences of violence.

Many OECD governments regularly identify violence against women as the top gender equality issue their country faces. Yet in all countries, addressing this multifaceted issue presents serious governance and implementation challenges as victims/survivors have complex needs both during and after experiences of violence. Different service delivery providers such as health, justice, housing and social protection must work together seamlessly - across governmental and non-governmental providers - to provide an effective response. This report presents a stocktaking of OECD governments' efforts to integrate service delivery to address the most prevalent form of gender-based violence against women: intimate partner violence. It presents an overview of different strategies for coordinating key services commonly offered in OECD countries: healthcare, justice, housing, child services, income support, and preventative programmes to stop the reoccurrence of violence. Based on extensive feedback from 35 out of 38 OECD countries and a consultation with non-governmental service providers, this report identifies best practices and investigates the barriers to resolving one of the most pressing human rights issues in OECD countries today.

Housing matters for everyone, as it provides shelter, security, privacy, and stability. For survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV), housing takes on an additional meaning; it is the key to establishing a new life, free from abuse. IPV survivors often face such inadequate housing options, however, that they must make excruciating choices between cycling through temporary shelters, becoming homeless, or returning to their abusers. Home Safe Home offers a multifaceted analysis that accounts for both IPV survivors’ needs and the practical challenges involved in providing them with adequate permanent housing. Incorporating the varied perspectives of the numerous housing providers, activists, policymakers, and researchers who have a stake in these issues, the book also lets IPV survivors have their say, expressing their views on what housing and services can best meet their short and long-term goals. Researchers Hilary Botein and Andrea Hetling not only examine the federal and state policies and funding programs determining housing for IPV survivors, but also provide detailed case studies that put a human face on these policy issues. As it traces how housing options and support mechanisms for IPV survivors have evolved over time, Home Safe Home also offers innovative suggestions for how policymakers and advocates might work together to better meet the needs of this vulnerable population.

Intimate Partner Sexual Violence (IPSV) is the most common type of sexual violence and a common component of domestic violence, yet most cases go unreported and service responses are often inadequate. This book brings together advice for all those professionals working with individuals who have experienced IPSV and puts forward recommendations to tackle this prevalent form of sexual violence. With contributions from leading experts on IPSV, Intimate Partner Sexual Violence is a comprehensive guide to the subject which bridges the gap between research and practice. Multidisciplinary and international in approach, the book covers key issues salient to all professionals - the impact of IPSV, reproductive coercion, the physical and psychological indicators, possible consequences of taking a case to court, and best practice service responses. One section also addresses the risks and needs of IPSV victims in different contexts, such as those in same-sex or teenage relationships, immigrant victims, and those living in rural areas or in prison. This is an authoritative resource for all professionals who work with IPSV victims including counselors, social workers, refuge workers, victim advocates, mental health professionals, pastoral workers, lawyers, police, and health practitioners.

This book critically exposes some of the factors used in the risk determination of intimate partner violence, alongside an analysis on the definition and management of the risk of recidivism. Traditional beliefs and gender stereotypes underlying police attitudes associated with domestic violence are explored. The authors provide considerations for domestic violence prevention and intervention programs, highlighting the importance of adopting proactive and supportive attitudes in response to victims. Researchers have measured intimate partner violence and survivors' help-seeking through a variety of different instruments, making it difficult to paint a consistent picture of intimate partner violence. As such, this collection includes the results of a study comparing three measures so as to examine whether a certain measure produces a discernible pattern of results. A subsequent study analyses the relationship between psychopathological symptomatology and intimate partner violence in a sample of 122 Portuguese women participants, 61 with a judiciary victim status and 61 without this status. To avoid discrepancies between medical reporting and the reconstruction of sex crimes, it is crucial to use strategies which focus not only on technical aspects of evidence collection, but also on the way the victim's story will be recorded. Women most commonly experience violence victimisation by someone close to them. Therapeutic work with victims/survivors of intimate partner violence may range from immediate crisis intervention to long-term support. The award-winning PAWS FOR EMPOWERMENT program in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is discussed, as well as the successes and challenges the program has faced in rescuing and training shelter dogs to serve as canine advocates. A qualitative study is presented which aims to further our understanding of how domestic violence between intimate partners can affect maternal parenting. The sample used comprised 15 mothers and victims of domestic violence, focusing on understanding how they conceive of their role as a parent. The authors go on to explore the extent to which domestic violence is regulated in Indonesia, and the extent to which such regulation is implemented. This compilation also examines how the practice of forced marriage arrangements creates vulnerabilities for girls and young women. Accordingly, a discussion is provided concerning differences and similarities between the concepts of arranged and forced marriage, and its relationship to sexual trafficking. The authors summarize findings on the association between cyber dating abuse and offline dating violence in a sample of 145 Portuguese adolescents and young adults. Additionally, a review of the literature on the phenomenon of multiple child and youth victimization is carried out, addressing the main risk factors, the implications for the development of children and young people, and guidelines for intervention. The impact that community violence exposure has on youth is assessed, accompanied with practical proposals for prevention. The concept of community violence and the different types of violence and crimes that could be involved are examined, mapping the prevalence of youth affected by this type of violence. Accordingly, to develop appropriate helpful responses to victims of violence and crime, it is particularly relevant to assess people's perceptions, to be aware of their victimization experiences and to identify their needs. In closing, using Saint Lucia as an example, some of the challenges of supporting victims of intimate violence on an island are illustrated, discussing innovative policies and practices to best support victims in this context.

Violence against women (VAW) and girls exists in all countries and across all socio-economic groups, with around one in three women experiencing sexual and physical violence in their lifetime worldwide. This issue was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, intensifying the need for urgent action to eradicate it. Many governments, including in the MENA region, have enacted policies and programmes to tackle VAW. However, limited strategic planning, long-term investment in services, and co-ordinated responses among public institutions and actors involved in the implementation of VAW strategies have made it difficult to break the VAW cycle. Drawing on data collected through the 2022 OECD Survey on Strengthening Governance and Victim/survivor-centric Approaches to end Violence Against Women in MENA Countries, this report provides an overview of MENA countries’ efforts to develop whole-of-government VAW responses, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and with a view to help anticipate future crises. It assesses the gaps that hinder progress towards achieving lives free from violence for all women and girls and provides recommendations to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the policy and institutional frameworks across MENA countries in addressing VAW.

This report promotes a comprehensive approach to breaking the cycle of gender-based violence by combining insights from recent OECD work with robust evidence from surveys and questionnaires conducted in OECD Member countries.