Project

Rationale | Objectives | Activities | Target groups | Products

Rationale

According to the Council of Europe 12% to 15% of European Women over 16 suffered domestic abuse in a relationship (2008).
In the intervention in domestic violence safety of women and children is paramount at all times. Thus risk assessment – applying formal instruments to assess the likelihood that intimate partner violence will be repeated and escalated – plays a central role and must be given utmost priority. It is the basis for establishing a safety plan to guarantee the safety and security, preventing further acts of violence or murder and allowing survivors of violence to live a life without violence.

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Objectives

The Project E-MARIA intends to improve the intervention in domestic violence by developing innovative approaches to and instruments for risk assessment in order to increase the prediction of re-assault and to promote the safety and security of victims of violence. Safety and security shall help victims to recover from their abusive relationship and to (re)-build their life without violence.

The main objectives of the project are:

to create instruments and tools that allow a high level of efficacy and efficiency in the protection and safety of the survivors;
to promote the recovery of survivors of domestic violence, and consequently their empowerment and autonomy, and to prevent further victimisation;
to promote the collaboration among stakeholders involved in the support and safety planning of women and children, as well as to develop formal and informal networks.

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Activities

In the two-year project the main activities are:

conducting a comprehensive needs analysis to gather information on existing risk assessment tools, legal aspects related to risk assessment, safety planning, legal implications, and available training for women survivors.
developing a European Manual on Risk Assessment composed by several sections, such as guidelines and tools for implementing risk assessment, safety plans, good practice examples, available resources, legal and criminal systems;
developing training modules for professionals;
developing training modules for women survivors to promote their recovery, empowerment and autonomy.

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Target groups

The E-MARIA project seeks to involve all professionals who provide frontline services for victims of domestic violence, with special focus on legal, paralegal and judicial professionals and law enforcement authorities as well as all professionals who intervene in the field of domestic violence, taking into account that the implementation of risk assessment has an impact on all levels of the intervention.

Moreover, E-MARIA addresses directly women survivors for whom training sessions will be offered aiming at accompanying their recovery process and promoting their autonomy.

All target groups will benefit from improvements in the intervention and support chain in the field of domestic and gender based violence, and have the opportunity to improve their personal and professional skills in the specifically developed training.

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