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HELSEVEL-Gode og effektive helse-, omsorgs- og velferdstjenester

Mandatory Reporting of Intimate Partner Violence

Alternative title: Avvergeplikt i møte med partnervold

Awarded: NOK 12.0 mill.

Different perceptions and experiences of the duty of confidentiality, the right to provide information, and mandatory reporting (MR)may pose significant challenges. MANREPORT-IPV is a cross-professional study examining service providers’ MR of intimate partner violence (IPV). IPV is a serious health, social and justice issue. Evidence reveals that in a majority of intimate partner homicides, the perpetrator or the victim has been in contact with service providers previous to the homicide. This finding indicates a potential for prevention. Confidentiality is an important principle for professionals in most countries. Still, several jurisdictions have adopted legislation requiring e.g. health personnel to disclose client information to the authorities under certain circumstances, such as cases of severe IPV. Disclosure required by law is commonly referred to as mandatory reporting. In Norway all citizens, including professionals, have a duty to avert severe IPV. The duty may be fulfilled either by reporting or preventing the IPV by other means. Attitudes to MR appear strong. In spite of this empirical research appears to be scarce. To examine this aim we will do: 1. Systematic text studies (court documents, and other legal decisions and reports) – By court documents and other relevant juridical sources, we are (1) estimating the prevalence of documentation of MR of IPV (2) analyzing professionals’ experiences with, awareness of, and attitudes about mandatory reporting, and (3) discussing and establishing the juridical frame and threshold for mandatory reporting of IPV. The Director of Public Prosecutions has provided access to the court documents. The PhD student have published a peer reviewed article in the Norwegian journal of penal law. 2. Qualitative interviews with service providers and help-seekers regarding experiences, awareness and attitudes to mandatory reporting of IPV By using semi-structured qualitative interview guides, we are examining what factors affect professionals’ decision making regarding MR. We are investigating how these professionals reason about their choices of actions, their professional roles, their responsibilities, and about cooperating with other entities in the service system when handling possible IPV cases. The analysis will center on what may hinder and what may promote MR. Professionals are both drawn from shelters, emergency rooms, therapist and those receiving MR; child protective services and police. Moreover, we are exploring IPV help-seekers’ (victims and perpetrators) experiences, attitudes and awareness of MR. How does mandatory reporting affect help-seekers’ confidence in the service system and the experiences of the treatment they receive? We have completed the data collection. The material consists of 78 interviews with professionals and help seekers. We are analyzing the data, and have submitted an article to an international peer reviewed journal. Three papers in progress. Preliminary results presented at European Conference of Domestic Violence 2023. 3. Quantitative questionnaires of service providers and help-seekers’ perception of and experience with mandatory reporting of IPV By using validated questionnaires adjusted to MR of IPV we will (1) examine and compare awareness, attitudes and experience with MR of IPV among groups of professionals and IPV help-seekers (identical to the groups in WP2), (2) ascertain if the law of mandatory reporting of IPV deters help-seekers from getting care, (3) analyze factors of supporting or opposing MR of IPV among professionals and IPV help-seekers. In addition, we are (4) pre-and post-testing professionals’ awareness and change of attitudes and experience by an educative intervention. We have completed the data collection from professionals (N=374), persons subjected to IPV (N=86) and the intervention (N=51). We are analyzing the data, and have submitted an article to an international peer reviewed journal. Three papers in progress. Preliminary results presented at European Conference of Domestic Violence 2023. 4. Research communication. MANREPORT-IPV’s strategies to maximise impact are divided into three main focus areas: dissemination, engaging stakeholders and communication. We have a PhD student focusing on research communication. She explores how to communicate the law of MR of IPV and researched based knowledge to health care professionals in hospitals. The first part of her data collection is completed (22 interviews). She has presented preliminary results at two international conferences. We have established a project website Mandatory Reporting of Intimate Partner Violence | Høgskulen i Volda (www.hivolda.no). Partners in the project are Volda University College, Molde University College, The Norwegian Police University College, and Oslo University Hospital.

Intimate partner violence is a serious public health problem that affects millions worldwide. The costs of IPV are massive, both in terms of suffering, reduced health, and socioeconomic expenses. Evidence suggests that in a majority of intimate partner homicides (IPH), there is a potential for prevention. For this purpose, countries in some parts of the world have adopted legislation requiring professionals to report cases of IPV to the police or the criminal justice system. Currently, however, the empirical knowledge on mandatory reporting of IPV is inconclusive and offers no valid evidence to support a major attitude toward the subject. The overall aim of MANREPORT-IPV is to investigate "What experiences, awareness, and attitudes do professionals and IPV help-seekers in Norway have concerning mandatory reporting of intimate partner violence?". Given the scarce knowledge of this research field, we designed a concurrent parallel explorative project with three main elements. 1) Systematic text studies (court documents, juridical analysis). 2) A qualitative investigation of experiences, awareness, and attitudes to mandatory reporting of IPV. 3) Quantitative investigation of professionals' and help-seekers' perceptions of and experiences with mandatory reporting of IPV. MANREPORT-IPV will analyze and compare data from doctors, nurses, domestic violence shelter workers, child protective services, psychologists, police, and IPV help-seekers. Studying these enables us to analyse horizontal interactions between service providers with different responsibilities concerning IPV. The primary objective is to improve the empirical knowledge on mandatory reporting of IPV to inform a more effective prevention of serious intimate partner violence. The project will contribute to innovation by providing new knowledge about facilitators and barriers to mandatory reporting, thus building a foundation for more evidence-based recommendations and interaction in the service system.

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HELSEVEL-Gode og effektive helse-, omsorgs- og velferdstjenester