Developing the Intervention Evidence Base for Children and Young People who have Experienced Domestic Violence and Abuse



Carter, GJ ORCID: 0000-0001-7244-037X
(2018) Developing the Intervention Evidence Base for Children and Young People who have Experienced Domestic Violence and Abuse. PhD thesis, University of Liverpool.

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Abstract

Domestic violence and abuse (DVA) is a global health problem and it is widely established that children and young people can be negatively affected by experiencing DVA (Potter & Feder, 2017). The current evidence base for interventions delivered in the United Kingdom (UK) targeted at children who have experienced DVA is underdeveloped and inconclusive; few qualitative studies have explored the experiences of those who have provided or received such interventions (Howarth et al., 2016). This thesis explored two research questions: RQ1: How do intervention recipients and providers perceive interventions targeted at children and young people who have experienced DVA? RQ2: How can the evidence base be improved for interventions targeted at children and young people who have experienced DVA? Study 1 aimed to assess the effectiveness of three psychotherapeutic interventions by analysing evaluation data and pre- and post- intervention outcomes. The limited data available meant that the aim of Study 1 was not achieved. In response, Study 2 qualitatively examined the experiences of individuals who receive and deliver interventions targeted at children who have experienced DVA and aimed to identify the difficulties of demonstrating intervention effectiveness. Study 2 comprised 35 semi-structured in-depth interviews with the following intervention stakeholders: children (n=3), parents (n=6) and intervention providers (n=12). The interviews were analysed using Thematic Analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Six themes were developed: Divergent perceptions about an intervention’s purpose; The timing of an intervention; The appropriate length of an intervention; The significance of who delivers an intervention; Barriers to evaluating interventions; and The contribution of qualitative methods in examining intervention outcomes. The results and lessons learned from Studies 1 and 2 are presented in three meta-themes: (1) The value of the voice of the child; (2) A lack of appreciation for divergent views; (3) The impact of organisational context. This thesis makes invaluable contributions for the future development of the evidence base for interventions targeted at children who have experienced DVA. This thesis advocates that the voices of children and young people must be fundamental to developing and evaluating interventions that are available to them. As intervention stakeholders can view an intervention from different angles this can influence intervention engagement and outcomes. Therefore, understanding why perceptions about interventions differ is paramount to reconcile. Finally, the organisational context in which interventions are provided may hinder joint-working, and the delivery and robust evaluation of interventions, subsequently hampering the evidence base of interventions. The limitations are discussed and implications for theory, policy, practice and research are presented.

Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
Divisions: Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Population Health
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 26 Mar 2019 12:03
Last Modified: 19 Jan 2023 01:05
DOI: 10.17638/03031977
Supervisors:
URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3031977