Written submission from Dr Rebecca Shaw, University of Leeds
(VAWG0009)
1.1. This submission responds to Part Three ‘Ensuring Long Term Change’ of the National Audit Office’s report on Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls, specifically in relation to prioritising prevention and understanding the need to change perceptions of domestic abuse as part of an innovative approach to prevention.
1.2. Despite decades of activism, harmful narratives about domestic abuse continue to persist. These narratives often repeat stereotypical characterisations of victims and perpetrators; reinforce misunderstandings of the nature of domestic abuse; and are entrenched within both individuals and institutions.
1.3. These harmful narratives, and the perception of domestic abuse they communicate, serve as a significant barrier to prevention activities and delivering long-term cultural and societal change around domestic abuse.
1.4. This barrier can be addressed through a greater focus on challenging these narratives as part of a more innovative approach to prevention, specifically focusing on incorporating this into educational curricula for secondary school age children.
1.5. This submission recommends that the government embed changing the narrative of domestic abuse into its prevention strategy and specifically any package of support developed for teachers to deliver Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSE) curriculum.
1.6. It is crucial that the RSE curriculum works to better educate children about the nature of domestic abuse to improve understanding and awareness, and equip children with the knowledge required for long-term societal and cultural change.
2.1. This submission shares evidence from the ‘Domestic Abuse Service Providers and their Stories’ research study funded by the Economic and Social Research Council Vulnerability and Policing Futures Research Centre. This response is submitted by the Principal Investigator (Dr Rebecca Shaw) – Centre for Criminal Justice Studies, School of Law, University of Leeds.
2.2. The research aimed to assess domestic abuse specialist workers’ perceptions of harmful narratives; identify what kinds of narratives persist in preventing change; and identify strategies for improving future policy and practical change of the narrative of domestic abuse. The research was conducted across West Yorkshire in 2023-2024 with four specialist domestic abuse organisations who support victim-survivors and run perpetrator programmes. Research findings can be found here.
2.3. The research concluded that in order to change perceptions of domestic abuse and deliver long-term societal and cultural change, educating children is key to breaking the cycle and avoiding the continued reproduction of these harmful narratives.
2.4. Further funding by the Economic and Social Research Council was then given for the creation of a bespoke, new educational resource for all secondary school children, including animated video and teacher toolkit, aimed at changing the narrative around domestic abuse (2025). Currently in development phrase, this will resource be piloted on Leeds City Council’s Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) Educational Platform MindMate before rolling out to the wider West Yorkshire area.
2.5. With an improved understanding of the nature of domestic abuse, children can develop the capacity to actively contribute to addressing the complex societal challenge of domestic abuse.
3.1. A 2022 Women’s Aid Survey of UK attitudes to domestic abuse revealed the continuing presence of attitudes that enable and excuse domestic abuse.
3.2. The University of Leeds research found that specialist domestic abuse practitioners encounter a range of these problematic narratives on a day-to-day basis. The findings demonstrate that these narratives range from stereotypical characterisations of victims and perpetrators; failing to take domestic abuse seriously; a hierarchy of abuse with physical abuse and violence at the apex; and the responsibilisation of the victim.
3.3. Specifically, practitioners reported the significance of these harmful narratives in driving a continued lack of understanding about domestic abuse and that they need to be changed.
3.4. The research also found that the persistence presence of these narratives creates barriers to accessing support; impacts practitioners’ ability to provide their service; and ultimately undermines the response to tackling domestic abuse.
3.5. Therefore, it is important to recognise and understand how these narratives are constructed and reproduced as part of any action to tackle domestic abuse. Until we address the existence of these narratives through policy and practice, any attempts for long-term cultural and societal change around domestic abuse will continue to stall.
3.6. Specifically, this research highlights that children and young adults need to be educated about these problematic narratives in order to address this barrier to change.
3.7. Improved understanding is key in order to address the root causes of domestic abuse and to foster a new generation that are empowered and equipped to prevent domestic abuse and facilitate long-term change.
4.1. Departments leading prevention activities in the VAWG strategy, specifically the Department for Education, need to embed changing the narrative of domestic abuse within their policies on prevention.
4.2. While statutory guidance from the Department of Education on Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education states that by the end of secondary school, pupils should know ‘the law and concepts relating to […] domestic abuse’ (2019, 29), the RSE curriculum focuses on educating children around healthy relationships, and developing the skills to form and maintain those types of relationships.
4.3. This research, however, recommends that statutory educational policy be extended to teaching children and young adults about these harmful narratives and their impact.
4.4. Specifically, the compulsory RSE curriculum must work with children to prevent the reproduction of these narratives and prevent harmful perceptions about domestic abuse from developing at a young age.
4.5. Changing the narrative of domestic abuse is critical to the success of delivering long-term cultural and society change. As such it needs to be central to policy decisions, especially surrounding education.
4.6. I recommend the government incorporate the ‘Changing the Narrative’ into the prevention pillar of Tackling VAWG Strategy and embed the educational resource nationally into the RSE curriculum to drive long-term changes in attitudes to domestic abuse.
February 2025