Hearing The Silent Voices
Detective Sgt. Steve Kelly
Merseyside Police
The Progress on DV
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Up to early 90’s – A private matter
Mid 90’s – Women’s Aid ‘outed’!
Establishment of DV Units
DV a Crime?
Early 2000 – DV Legislation
H.O. Performance Indicators
Recognition of DV crimes
Recognition of cost to society
What about the Children?
Merseyside Force Policy:
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1991 – No mention of children!
1998 – ‘Ensure the safety of the
victim and any children’
2000 – ‘Physically check on the
wellbeing of any children’
Research tells us….
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A third of children present during an incident try to
protect their mother (Hammer 1990)
90% children are in the same or adjacent room during a
violent attack (Hughes 1992)
Children living with DV experience direct physical&
sexual harm – 10% had witnessed their mother being
sexually assaulted (NCH 2002)
In 30-66% of DV cases the abuser is also abusing the
children in the family. (Hester et al 2000, Humphries &
Thiara 2002)
Children are an integral factor in their mother’s
management of DV, 50% catalysed them into seeking
help. (Zink et al 2003)
At least 750,000 children a year witness DV & almost
75% of children on the CPR live with DV (DOH 2003)
The Impact of DV on
Children
Developmental
 Emotional
 Physical
 Personal
 Social
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DV in Reality
Abuse in pregnancy
 Witnessing abuse
 Involvement in abuse
 Subjected to abuse
 Abuse through child contact/
abduction
 Murder
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Hearing the Silent Voices
Hearing the Silenced
Voices
How to Respond
The Perfect Policeman
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Give children the opportunity to
speak
Listen
Do not judge
Be gentle & kind
Be strong
Have a fast car
Our New Policy
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Actively seek out children
Give them an opportunity to tell what
they have seen and how they feel
Consider them as a witness
Refer to Social Services – C.P. Issues
Inclusion within dynamic risk
assessments
Operation Goodwill
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Helping children and young people
living with DV to recognise it and
to speak out about it
Educating the adults of the next
generation as to what is and is not
acceptable behaviour within
relationships
Giving them a Voice
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Initial response
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Education
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Support Groups
Hearing the Voices
Children need time to discuss the feelings
they have about violence.
Children need to know it is NOT their fault
and that this is NOT the way
relationships should be.
Children need adults who are
knowledgeable about DV issues and
skilled in listening and responding
appropriately.
Hearing The Silent Voices
Detective Sgt. Steve Kelly
Merseyside Police