Topic: Violence and abuse

Research and education on prevention of violence at the Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies

Saur, R., Hjemdal, O. K., & Heir, T. (2011). Research and education on prevention of violence at the Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies. Oslo: Nasjonalt kunnskapssenter om vold og traumatisk stress. (Rapport 6/2011).

In this report we present projects on research, development and knowledge dissemination, as well as educational courses run by NKVTS that are in some way linked to the prevention of violence in close relationships.

An implicit prevention purpose is often found in research and teaching about violence. The researcher acquires knowledge that may be relevant to the prevention of new violent incidents, to the prevention or reduction of the late effects of violence, or on how to prevent people from being exposed to violence in general. Even if preventing violence is not explicitly formulated as the main purpose of the projects, prevention can be regarded as an implicit milestone.

24 different research and developmental projects related to the prevention of violence in close relationships are presented in the report. Methodically, and with regard to content, the projects cover a wide field:

Studies aiming at increased understanding of how different groups of people experience being exposed to violence Development of methods and competence among relevant professionals Knowledge about the prevention of violence and abuse within minority groups The incidence and character of violent acts in different populations The effects of therapy on men who perpetrate violence Status of knowledge and imparting knowledge about violence to organisations, colleges and universities imparting of knowledge through the use of films, videos and literature.

The report gives a summary of five projects that deal with the use of violence in the upbringing of children in immigrant and refugee families, about the incidence of – and the prevention of violence and sexual abuse against children and about whether the hospitals discover child maltreatment.