Conclusions

• Author: European Institute for Gender Equality (EU body or agency)
• Pages: 55-57

4. Conclusions

55Intimate partner violence and witness intervention: what are the deciding factors?

4. Conclusions

Witnesses need greater knowledge about

intimate partner violence, in particular

about non-physical violence. They also

need the skills to discuss the subject with

the victim

Across all environments explored in this report,

public awareness of psychological, economic and

sexual violence in relationships is lower than pub-

lic awareness of physical violence. Witnesses are

often deterred from supporting victims of psy-

chological, economic and sexual violence because

they are not sure what counts as abuse, do not

realise that these are criminal offences, or do not

believe the police will take their reports seriously.

Witnesses are of ten reluctant to intervene with-

out the explicit agreement of the victim; this is

particularly impor tant for witnesses who are

friends and family members. It may therefore

be unrealistic to expect witnesses to report inti-

mate partner violence to the authorities without

speaking to the victim first to gain their approval,

so helping witnesses to have these conversations

in a sensitive and constructive way is crucial to

help the victim find a way to proceed.

Lack of awareness of support ser vices, as

well as a lack of access, hinders reporting

of intimate partner violence and support

for victims

To be ef fective, support services need to be

accessible and widely known. The research high-

lighted low awareness of support services for

witnesses of intimate par tner violence, as well as

a lack of access in some Member States. Uneven

geographical coverage and restricted opening

times made seeking support difficult  for both

victims and witnesses.

Witnesses are hesitant to inter vene if the

victim has not disclosed the violence

The signs of intimate partner violence can be

subtle. Witnesses are often uncomfortable with

the idea of basing a report to authorities on sus-

picions alone and seek confirmation. This can

include specific signs such as bruises or witness-

ing the violence with their own eyes, as well as

disclosure from the vic tim. However, there are a

wide range of responses witnesses to domestic

violence can opt to:

seek specialist advice on what to do,

talk to the victim and/or the perpetrator,

help the victim seek professional suppor t,

accompany the victim to support ser vices or

relevant authorities,

help the victim report the crime herself,

report the violence to the police or relevant

authorities.

Professionals need clarity on their obligation

to report intimate partner violence

Failure to repor t intimate partner violence

where it is mandatory undermines the rule of

law. There needs to be greater clarity about

how to navigate the tension between the obli-

gation to report intimate partner violence

and the obligation to maintain confidentiality.

The research highlighted professional obliga-

tion as a factor enabling witness repor ting of

intimate partner violence for those working

in health and social care. However, it found

that in some Member States professionals in

these sectors are deterred from reporting