BBC ‘Hitting Home’ domestic violence survey

Report: 12
Date: 10 Jul 2003
By: Commissioner

Summary

The purpose of this report was to determine the impact of the survey carried out, on behalf of the BBC, during the recent series on domestic violence issues, ‘Hitting Home’, has on the way the MPS investigates such crimes. The survey does confirm a number of matters already understood by the MPS, however, the survey has proven little worth in understanding London’s perception of domestic violence.

A. Recommendations

That the Committee notes the report.

B. Supporting information

The Survey

1. In February 2003, the BBC, over a period of eight days, focused on domestic violence under the title of ‘Hitting Home’. This was done through using prime-time television shows such as Eastenders and Casualty, as well as radio programmes and web pages on the BBC web site (www.bbc.co.uk/health/hh).

2. As part of this series, the BBC commissioned ICM to conduct a survey to find out what the UK’s perception was of domestic violence. A copy of the results from this survey can be found on ICM’s web site.

3. ICM Research interviewed a random sample of 1,020 adults aged 18+ face-to-face on 25th January - 5th February, 2003. Interviews were conducted across the country and the results were weighted to the profile of all adults.

4. Although the survey confirms some previous research on domestic violence, it has proven very difficult to relate the findings of this survey to the work that the Understanding and Responding to Hate Crime project team, under Professor Betsy Stanko, has carried out on behalf of the MPS.

5. One of the reasons for this difficulty is that the survey was nationwide rather than being London based. In addition most of the questions require attitudinal responses rather than focusing on previous experience. The MPS research is based on incidents actually reported to the police.

6. Also, the definition used for domestic violence by ICM / the BBC differs from that used by the MPS. The definition used in the survey was ‘domestic fighting, hitting, punching, kicking and having sex against one of the partners’ will’. The MPS has adopted the ACPO definition of domestic violence as ‘Any incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional) between adults who are or who have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender'.

7. Similarly, the definition of ‘intimate relationship’ also differs; the definition used within the survey was ‘married or living with a partner’, whilst the definition used by the MPS includes adults who are or who have been intimate partners or families members, regardless of gender.

8. A large number of the questions asked within the survey, asked the respondent if they had been involved in any incident of domestic violence, but failed to then follow this up with what form their involvement took, i.e. whether they were victim or perpetrator. This makes it very difficult to comment on whether the similarity in figures for male and female respondents is due to the way the question was worded, rather than showing an equal level of domestic violence being experienced by male and female respondents as victims.

9. Many of the questions had more than one option presented to the respondent within the same question. It is has proven difficult to tell whether the respondent is answering ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to either one or the other option, or both. Examples of this include -

‘Even though these things may not have happened to you, which of the following do you think would make you want to terminate the relationship or report your partner to the police?’

‘Suppose you became aware that someone was kicking or mistreating their dog. Do you think you would intervene or call the RSPCA or the police?’

10. Terminating a relationship and reporting a partner to the police are two very different options and may have elicited different responses if they had been asked separately. In the second question, three different responses are sought, to intervene, to call the RSPCA or to call the police. Were these to be separate questions, it is expected that responses would have been different.

11. The question about the respondent’s reactions to someone kicking or mistreating their dog should not be compared to the question about the respondent’s reactions to someone kicking or mistreating their partner. The question about the dog does not provide the same options as the question about the partner. Even though calling the RSPCA would not necessarily be a relevant option for the respondent if they became aware that someone was mistreating their partner, it is an alternative to calling the police. There are similar alternatives to calling the police for domestic violence. The respondent’s options should again be separated into different questions so that like can be compared with like.

12. A number of other key questions were not asked

• Under what circumstances the respondent thought that police should be called to an incident;
• Whether police should be called under certain circumstances;
• Why the police should or should not be called; and
• Would the respondent call anyone other than the police, and if so why?

13. The ‘responses to violence’ table on the BBC site, which talks about the survey results in relation to ‘attitudes towards domestic violence’ is problematic. Two questions are being combined to produce answers of ‘accept it’, ‘end relationship’ and ‘don’t know.

14. The first question is ‘Which of the following do you think you would accept….’. The second question is ‘Which of the following do you think would make you want to terminate the relationship or report your partner to the police’. The ‘don’t know’ responses appear to have been calculated by combining the responses to the first and second question. This is not comparing like with like, and contains assumptions that cannot necessarily be made.

The MPS’ aims

15. Whilst the MPS welcomes any attempt by a public body to raise the awareness of domestic violence crimes, the MPS has its own strategy that it seeks members’ support in dealing with such crimes.

16. Domestic violence is a crime and is not acceptable within any society. The MPS is committed to tackling domestic violence and to working in partnership with statutory, voluntary and social agencies.

17. The overriding issues for the MPS in relation to domestic violence are:

• the safety of victims and children suffering domestic violence; and
• the accountability of perpetrators of domestic violence.

18. Further the MPS will

• focus on perpetrators through a media campaign in September 2003;
• Raise the awareness of survivors around their rights and availability of multi-agency support;
• continue to raise general public awareness through a media strategy;
• Continue to train specialist domestic violence investigators to work in CSU’s;
• Introduce a risk assessment process for domestic violence victims;
• Introduce a SLA with the CPS to ensure effective prosecution of cases;
• Carry out domestic violence murder reviews to ensure that we continue to identify areas for positive intervention and prevention of murders.

C. Equality and diversity implications

This survey is unable to shed light on equality and diversity issues, in relation to the way the MPS records and investigates domestic violence crimes as no information of ethnicity of respondents was recorded. As has been shown, the survey gives no direct understanding of Londoners perceptions of domestic violence and the results are not focused enough to give guidance on improving either policy or policing practices within the MPS.

D. Financial implications

All costs will be met from within the existing budget of the Diversity Directorate.

E. Background papers

• ICM Research / BBC Domestic Violence Survey ’ Hitting Home’
• URHC research findings

F. Contact details

Report author: DCI Simon Letchford, Service Delivery, Racial and Violent Crimes Task Force, DCC4(3), MPS.

For more information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

Send an e-mail linking to this page

Feedback