Probation Institute

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Experiences of intimate partner violence and abuse among civilian partners of UK military personnel

“On behalf of Forces in Mind Trust, I am pleased to announce that today we have published a new report which may be of interest to you, Experiences of intimate partner violence and abuse among civilian partners of UK military personnel. The research was conducted by the King’s Centre for Military Health Research and funded by Forces in Mind Trust. It is one of the first UK qualitative studies to explore the unique experiences and challenges faced by civilian victim-survivors of abuse occurring within intimate relationships with serving and ex-Service personnel.  

The research team conducted interviews with victim-survivors of intimate partner abuse perpetrated by military personnel and found that there was a perception that certain aspect of the Armed Forces lifestyle and culture had contributed to their experiences. This included the normalisation of violence and aggressive communication styles, alcohol use, pressures resulting from work-family conflict, and a gendered expectations of female spouses in military communities. The Armed Forces lifestyle, including frequent relocations, deployment and transition out of the military were also found to provide contexts in which violence and abuse was more likely to occur or worsen.  

There were mixed experiences of help-seeking by victim-survivors with participants feeling that the military support services prioritised the needs of serving personnel over their own and did not provide sufficient protection. Many also reported a perceived lack of resources and staff skills in civilian services. 

The report sets out several recommendations on how we can better respond to the challenges faced by Armed Forces families. If you would like to discuss the report further, please do not hesitate to get in touch.”

The Probation Institute and Liverpool John Moore's University are jointly conducting research into the histories of ex-armed services personnel who have committed serious offences of harm to others. This is enabling us to look widely at the life histories, factors influencing behaviours, and at possible opportunities when an appropriate intervention could have prevented the serious harm.

Read the full report

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