Understanding the Dynamics of Domestic Abuse

The session enables participants to gain a basic understanding into the nature, impact and prevalence of domestic abuse highlighting abuse does not always have to be physical.  It will enable participants to consider and reflect on the reasons why women experiencing domestic abuse face significant barriers to leaving including the implications and potential dangers of leaving or staying for women, their children and young people. It explores and explains the terminology and rationale of a gendered analysis of domestic abuse, and addresses the commonly asked questions, harmful myths and narratives relating to women’s experiences of domestic abuse.

 Learning outcomes:

• Understanding of domestic abuse and how it impacts on those who experience it and how it affects their behaviour and choices
• Understanding the Scottish Government’s definition of domestic abuse and national policy response
• Understanding the impacts of domestic abuse and economic abuse through theory, research and survivor testimony
• Myth busting around common narratives about domestic abuse
• Knowledge of the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018, and what it means for practitioners and people experiencing domestic abuse
• Knowledge of services to ensure people experiencing domestic abuse are able to be signposted to appropriate support

Facilitator:

Judy Ferguson is the National Training Coordinator at Scottish Women’s Aid having previously spent nearly a decade with East Ayrshire Women’s Aid leading on all Domestic Abuse and Gender Based Violence multi agency training within the local Violence Against Women Partnership.

A certified Safe & Together Trainer with a passion and commitment to ensuring addressing domestic abuse becomes everyone’s business, Judy regularly provides training to COPFS, Police, Social Work, Criminal Justice Workers, Heath, Housing and VAWG partnerships and strives to improving the understanding of, and response to survivors and children experiencing domestic abuse.

Judy strives to support organisations develop robust approaches to end violence against women and girls, recognising it is a breach of human rights and unacceptable in any society and everyone has the right to live free from the threat of violence and abuse.