Background and issues
Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies (NKVTS) has carried out this study on assignment from the Ministry of Children and Equality (BLD). The study is one of the initiatives in the Norwegian Government ‘s Action Plan against Domestic Violence,”Vendepunkt” (“Turning point») 2008-2011.
Since 2001, the number of women’s shelter residents with minority backgrounds increased by 70%, while the number of residents of Norwegian origin were virtually halved. The main topic of this study is to identify possible causes for these changes in ethnic user population, shed light on the shelter’s function as a support service, and take a look at possible consequences the change in user population should have on the content and information services provided by the shelters.
In our search for possible explanations for these changes, we have focused on demographics, on changes in socio-cultural conditions for women of different origins, shifts in family patterns and cultural perceptions of divorce. Key points in the study are women’s perceptions of being exposed to violence, and their experiences with shelters as support services.
A paramount objective of the government’s various action plans to combat domestic violence, is to strengthen and improve the ability of basic public services to handle cases of domestic violence. In this study, attention is given to work by police and social services in this area. We also make an assessment of central tasks faced by the shelters, and propose what can be done to adapt services to the challenges they meet as a consequence of changes in user population.
Data resources and method
The study is based on interviews with 41 users and 12 employees at 6 different shelters, with 6 domestic violence coordinators in the police force and with 7 employees in social services. In addition, a survey with 504 women respondents was conducted, data was used from official women’s shelter statistics during the period 2003 to 2008, as was data from other registration studies of shelters, as well as official population statistics from Statistics Norway.
Main findings
Women with minority backgrounds are overrepresented among residents of the shelters.
In 2007, shelter residents with minority backgrounds constituted 7.0 per thousand of the immigrant population (women) in Norway, while residents of Norwegian origin constituted 0.7 per thousand of the ethnic Norwegian female population. Thus, in relation to the female population, the representation of women with minority backgrounds among shelter residents was 10 times higher than women of Norwegian origin. One of three residents with minority backgrounds was exposed to violence from Norwegian men.
A heterogeneous user group
The different origins and cultural backgrounds of women’s shelter users suggests that they have different perceptions of violence and abuse and of whether divorce and life of a single woman is associated with shame or is morally doubtful in itself. These different perceptions have significance as to what needs the women have for support and protection. Not just in relation to users of Norwegian or foreign origin, but also between various groups and cultures.
Causes
The increase and overrepresentation of women with minority backgrounds in shelters, seems to be related to fewer of them having own incomes as compared to Norwegians, and that more of them lack support from their networks when they want to get out of abusive relationships. In addition, stress linked to feeing and adapting to a new society can trigger or reinforce their vulnerability to violence.
The decline in the number of women’s shelter users of Norwegian origin can be due to a rise in economic independency among Norwegian women, that they have better knowledge of their rights, and that divorce has become more common and accepted. At the same time, increased awareness of domestic violence makes it easier to get support from family members and other close persons when the situation occurs. In addition, there are expectations towards women of Norwegian origin that they do not remain in violent relationships.
Violence is still a taboo
Interviews with shelter users show that violence in close relationships are taboo and associated with shame, and that it is experienced as embarrassing to contact a shelter. Many would rather seek help from family, friends or from other support services.
Shelter employees maintain that ethnic Norwegian women more often take the blame for their exposure to violence than do women with minority backgrounds. This may be connected to the ideal that each person is responsible for their own happiness. Women who seek out shelters feel shame and guilt that they have not been strong enough to leave the abuser.
Perceptions about the shelters for battered women.
Prior to contacting the women’s shelters, users had these perceptions of the shelters:
• Safe place where women exposed to severe violence can get help
• Women must be in acute crisis
• Women must be set on breaking of relationships with the abusers indefnitely
• Not good for children
• Is mainly a service for women with minority backgrounds
• Many women in the shelters have low/bad morals
• The majority of users are socially deprived
• Shelters are overcrowded
• The service is run by feminists
Very few users seem to know that the shelters also offer talks and counseling to women
who do not live in the shelters.
Changed perception after contact with the shelters
After meeting with the shelter, the women had a more balanced and positive view of what they offer. 40 of 41 informants would recommend the service to others in the same situation.
Having contact with the shelters challenges and modifies stereotypes of “the others” who use the service, and many get a new and more positive view of the content of what is offered and of other users. However, conflicts can still develop between shelter users. Conflicts are often linked to the use and cleaning of shared areas, noise levels etc., and arise easier in cramped premises and in shelters where no one is responsible for the social community.
Residents and day center users – different needs
More than six of ten day center users had never lived in the shelter before seeking it out for talks, advice and counseling. The study reveals a significant difference between users who are residents of the shelters and those who come for talks without living there. Those who come for talks without accommodation are primarily concerned with the consequences of violence and their rights as abused, while women who live at shelters need additional help and more types of help assistance. Some examples are economic help, housing, protection, assistance in contacting other help services, aid regarding their stay in Norway, learning language and qualifying for participation in the workplace.
User assessments of women’s shelter service
Talks and counseling is perceived as the most important aid for (half of) the users. The next most useful service (rated by two of five) is the shelter’s knowledge and various forms of practical assistance. One in five had a positive experience meeting others in similar life situations, and a few less mentioned care and protection as the most important aspects of the shelter’s help offerings. In addition to individual talks, the different forms of activities seem to have social, educational and therapeutic effects for women at the shelters.
Many residents wish for more space and opportunities for privacy at the shelters. Others wish for opportunities for more activity in daily life, preferably in the form of gym facilities and excursions. Residents at some of the shelters wish for more initiative from employees with regards to conversations and help in finding housing, and they request more staff in the living environment.
Consequences for how the shelters work
Strengthen talks/counseling service
Many abused women have a need first and foremost for talks and counseling about the violence they have experienced. They need to talk with someone who has knowledge about violence, about the consequences of violence and about their rights. Such talks constitute the «cutting-edge expertise» of the shelters. It is still predominantly women of Norwegian origin who use the offer of talks and counseling. Whether shelters succeed in further developing and strengthening this service can, therefore, greatly affect the composition of the user population in the future.
Continued low-threshold accommodation service
The shelter’s accommodation service can for some women be the only way out of an abusive relationship, and seems to have great significance especially for women with low socioeconomic status and poor or non-existing networks. The new Act relating to municipal women’s shelter service requires that shelters continue as a low-threshold service, which means that it is free of charge, open 24 hours a day and does not require a referral. In principle, no one who is abused will be turned away. This is of central importance to women who seek help from the shelters.
Increased cultural understanding
Women from many different societies, with different perceptions of family, marriage and divorce, with different religious identities and with other conceptions about the relationship between the genders, require that the shelter employees are knowledgeable. In addition to challenges of a practical and economic nature, the women can face major moral, safety and identity challenges based on their different perceptions.
Training in interpreter guidelines and use of interpreter
The shelters should use interpreters to a greater extent when this is necessary. Employees should receive training in basic interpreter guidelines and the particular challenges when using interpreters for conversations with traumatized people.
Increased efforts to get inhabitants out of shelters and into their own housing
Municipalities are responsible for providing housing to disadvantaged people. It is of great importance that women who are ready to move out of shelters – but cannot return to their previous place of residence – are given assistance to find new housing. It is un- fortunate that women live in prolonged periods at the shelters, and such situations can contribute to deteriorate services offered to new arrivals in need of closer follow-up.
Intensifying and differentiating information service
The women’s shelters face major challenges when it comes to providing information about their services to the general population, to potential users and to employees in various help services. The prevailing perception today is that the shelters primarily cater to women who are severely abused and in need of protection. Many are not aware of the shelter’s offers of talks, advice and counseling.
Improvement of the shelters’ working environments through Health, Environment and Safety (HSE) work and competency development
It is recommended that women’s shelters address the functions of the working environment through basic HSE-work. The Ministry of Children and Equality has already taken initiative to develop competency among shelter employees. This is implemented through a competency development program under the direction of a Resource Center on Violence, Traumatic stress and Suicide prevention (RVTS East). It is necessary to clarify how competency development at the shelters will be ensured in the future.
Emphasis on increased competency within help services
Some municipalities and selected services have started working on developing competency with regard to domestic violence, but there is a long way to go before the subject is integrated in the basic curriculum of health- and social work educations. The guidelines of the Act relating to women’s shelters emphasize the right to an individual plan, for people who need long-standing and coordinated help from health- and/or social services. The social services in our sample partially exclude violence in the definition of their areas of responsibility, and consider the use of the “individual plan» tool to not include victims of abuse. This serves as a reminder that there is much work to be done before the subject of domestic violence will be incorporated into traditional help services.
“Act of shelter service”
Many of the measures that are proposed to strengthen shelter services are included in the new act of shelter service, which took effect January 1, 2010. This report can serve as an important document for the municipalities in their challenges to fulfil the law.