Rebecca Barnes | University of Leicester (original) (raw)
Papers by Rebecca Barnes
Revisiting the 'Ideal Victim' (ed. Marian Duggan), 2018
This report presents the findings from our study of churchgoers' experiences of, and church respo... more This report presents the findings from our study of churchgoers' experiences of, and church responses to, domestic abuse. The study was conducted in the north-west English county of Cumbria, with a survey sample of n=438 churchgoers from a wide range of Christian denominations. In addition to presenting the findings, recommendations are offered for how churches need to improve their response to domestic abuse and strengthen partnership with secular agencies.
The Routledge Handbook of Gender and Violence, 2018
This chapter charts the development of research into domestic violence and abuse (DVA) in same-se... more This chapter charts the development of research into domestic violence and abuse (DVA) in same-sex relationships, and more recently in bisexual and/or transgender relationships. Firstly, we offer a brief literature review to set the context with regard to the emergence of attention to lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender (LGB and/or T) partners' experiences of DVA; and note the historic reluctance to examine LGBT DVA for ideological, reputational and methodological reasons. We review what is known to date about the extent and nature of DVA in the relationships of LGB and/or T people, focussing on the predominantly Western body of empirical research, but highlighting the gradual internationalisation of LGBT DVA research too. This includes discussion of the key limitations that both shape and reflect the trajectory of research in this area and drawing attention to some of the key lines of enquiry in the current literature: a quantitative emphasis upon measuring prevalence; the psychological exploration of causation; the development of qualitative research about LGBT DVA; and the more recent but growing intersectional analysis of the issues. Secondly, we present our research – the Coral Project – which has gathered the first substantial body of empirical evidence in the UK about the use of (potentially) abusive behaviours in LGB and/or T relationships, both from the perspective of LGB and/or T people and of practitioners involved in designing or delivering interventions for perpetrators of DVA. We explain how our sociological approach contrasts with the predominantly psychological basis of much of the LGBT DVA literature, and present selected findings about minority stress and help-seeking
The success of recent same-sex marriage campaigns worldwide arguably reflects a shift towards rec... more The success of recent same-sex marriage campaigns worldwide arguably reflects a shift towards recognising parity between lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or trans (LGB and/or T) and heterosexual relationships, whereby LGB and/or T women and men are credited with the same needs and rights regarding intimacy and family life. This contrasts starkly with previous, and to some extent, continuing, discourses of difference which either celebrate LGB and/or T distinctiveness, or conversely emphasise difference to preserve heterosexual privilege. This article explores how discourses of sameness and difference are reflected in interview data gathered from 23 practitioners who provide perpetrator interventions primarily for domestically violent and abusive heterosexual men. When reflecting on the suitability of these interventions for abusive LGB and/or T intimate partners, discourses of sameness dominated practitioners' assumptions about the needs of LGB and/or T perpetrators. Our conclusions problematise this emphasis on sameness and argue that the development of interventions for abusive LGB and/or T intimate partners needs to be informed by more nuanced understandings of both difference and sameness within and across LGB and/or T and heterosexual people's intimate relationships.
Report from the Nottinghamshire PCC-funded evaluation of the Medium Risk Plus intervention for me... more Report from the Nottinghamshire PCC-funded evaluation of the Medium Risk Plus intervention for medium risk, repeat female victims of domestic abuse in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.
Interim report of findings from the ESRC-funded Coral Project, examining the use of 'abusive' beh... more Interim report of findings from the ESRC-funded Coral Project, examining the use of 'abusive' behaviours in same-sex, bisexual and/or transgender relationships and considerations for the development of LGBT-inclusive domestic violence perpetrator interventions.
Drawing on analyses of official statistics and on a recent interview study with a small sample of... more Drawing on analyses of official statistics and on a recent interview study with a small sample of magistrates and judges, the findings indicate that whilst overall the use of custody appears to have remained fairly static, there are interesting differences between the sentencing practices of magistrates and Crown Court sentencers. Moreover, rather than witnessing significant shifts between immediate custody and non-custodial options for women, a key finding of this analysis concerns the shifting landscape within non-
Partner Abuse, 4(3): 380-398., 2013
This article uses qualitative data gathered through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 40 ... more This article uses qualitative data gathered through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 40 women in the United Kingdom who identified as having experienced abuse (physical, sexual, emotional, and/or financial) in a previous same-sex relationship. Participants’ narratives of “life after abuse” are examined through two lenses; the first contributing to understandings of the varied and enduring material, psychological and relational impacts of abuse, and the second offering insights into the cultural values that shape such narratives. Applying Arthur Frank’s (1995) illness narratives, this article argues that narratives emphasizing recovery (“restitution”) or transformation (“quest”) are culturally privileged over a “chaos” narrative. It also proposes a fourth narrative of “active recovery.” The article concludes that recovery from partner abuse is neither a linear process nor one guaranteed to reach an end point. Further research is needed to understand how to better support survivors of partner abuse to move toward recovery.
Feminism & Psychology, 21(2), 233-239., 2011
This reflection addresses the challenge which violence and abuse in women’s same-sex relationship... more This reflection addresses the challenge which violence and abuse in women’s same-sex relationships pose to lesbian feminist conceptualizations of woman-to-woman relationships as egalitarian and non-violent. Whilst recognizing the value of the ideals which lesbian feminism promoted in terms of presenting an alternative to patriarchal oppression and domination, this reflection draws upon data from the author’s qualitative study of woman-to-woman partner abuse to identify the implications of such ideals for women’s disclosure of and understanding of their experiences of abuse. For some participants, the pervasiveness of expectations of mutuality and non-violence in woman-to-woman relationships contributed to the silence and denial which surrounds woman-to-woman partner abuse. In spite of this, this reflection maintains that there is still scope for lesbian feminism to make a positive contribution towards promoting democratic, egalitarian, and non-abusive relationships. In order for this to be possible however, lesbian feminist thinking must first develop a more inclusive understanding of woman-to-woman relationships which confronts the reality that some women’s experiences of woman-to-woman relationships run contrary to the longed-for lesbian utopia which was central to 1970s lesbian feminist ideals.
Gender and Interpersonal Violence: Language, Action and Representation, 2008
Encyclopedia of Women in Today's World, 2011
to this mission, and its activities have included propaganda, protests and violence against these... more to this mission, and its activities have included propaganda, protests and violence against these groups during its various waves of activity. The KKK continues to exist today albeit in a diminished and fragmented form. However, Klan activity is believed to be increasing in a backlash to economic instability and perceived threats to white Christian values. The position of women within the KKK has shifted during key waves of Klan activity. The KKK has traditionally been a male-dominated organization but has occupied a contradictory position in relation to women, both reinforcing traditional female roles whilst gradually recognizing the benefits of attracting women members.
Encyclopedia of Gender and Society, 2009
Encyclopedia of Women in Today's World, 2011
Encyclopedia of Gender and Society, 2009
Revisiting the 'Ideal Victim' (ed. Marian Duggan), 2018
This report presents the findings from our study of churchgoers' experiences of, and church respo... more This report presents the findings from our study of churchgoers' experiences of, and church responses to, domestic abuse. The study was conducted in the north-west English county of Cumbria, with a survey sample of n=438 churchgoers from a wide range of Christian denominations. In addition to presenting the findings, recommendations are offered for how churches need to improve their response to domestic abuse and strengthen partnership with secular agencies.
The Routledge Handbook of Gender and Violence, 2018
This chapter charts the development of research into domestic violence and abuse (DVA) in same-se... more This chapter charts the development of research into domestic violence and abuse (DVA) in same-sex relationships, and more recently in bisexual and/or transgender relationships. Firstly, we offer a brief literature review to set the context with regard to the emergence of attention to lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender (LGB and/or T) partners' experiences of DVA; and note the historic reluctance to examine LGBT DVA for ideological, reputational and methodological reasons. We review what is known to date about the extent and nature of DVA in the relationships of LGB and/or T people, focussing on the predominantly Western body of empirical research, but highlighting the gradual internationalisation of LGBT DVA research too. This includes discussion of the key limitations that both shape and reflect the trajectory of research in this area and drawing attention to some of the key lines of enquiry in the current literature: a quantitative emphasis upon measuring prevalence; the psychological exploration of causation; the development of qualitative research about LGBT DVA; and the more recent but growing intersectional analysis of the issues. Secondly, we present our research – the Coral Project – which has gathered the first substantial body of empirical evidence in the UK about the use of (potentially) abusive behaviours in LGB and/or T relationships, both from the perspective of LGB and/or T people and of practitioners involved in designing or delivering interventions for perpetrators of DVA. We explain how our sociological approach contrasts with the predominantly psychological basis of much of the LGBT DVA literature, and present selected findings about minority stress and help-seeking
The success of recent same-sex marriage campaigns worldwide arguably reflects a shift towards rec... more The success of recent same-sex marriage campaigns worldwide arguably reflects a shift towards recognising parity between lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or trans (LGB and/or T) and heterosexual relationships, whereby LGB and/or T women and men are credited with the same needs and rights regarding intimacy and family life. This contrasts starkly with previous, and to some extent, continuing, discourses of difference which either celebrate LGB and/or T distinctiveness, or conversely emphasise difference to preserve heterosexual privilege. This article explores how discourses of sameness and difference are reflected in interview data gathered from 23 practitioners who provide perpetrator interventions primarily for domestically violent and abusive heterosexual men. When reflecting on the suitability of these interventions for abusive LGB and/or T intimate partners, discourses of sameness dominated practitioners' assumptions about the needs of LGB and/or T perpetrators. Our conclusions problematise this emphasis on sameness and argue that the development of interventions for abusive LGB and/or T intimate partners needs to be informed by more nuanced understandings of both difference and sameness within and across LGB and/or T and heterosexual people's intimate relationships.
Report from the Nottinghamshire PCC-funded evaluation of the Medium Risk Plus intervention for me... more Report from the Nottinghamshire PCC-funded evaluation of the Medium Risk Plus intervention for medium risk, repeat female victims of domestic abuse in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.
Interim report of findings from the ESRC-funded Coral Project, examining the use of 'abusive' beh... more Interim report of findings from the ESRC-funded Coral Project, examining the use of 'abusive' behaviours in same-sex, bisexual and/or transgender relationships and considerations for the development of LGBT-inclusive domestic violence perpetrator interventions.
Drawing on analyses of official statistics and on a recent interview study with a small sample of... more Drawing on analyses of official statistics and on a recent interview study with a small sample of magistrates and judges, the findings indicate that whilst overall the use of custody appears to have remained fairly static, there are interesting differences between the sentencing practices of magistrates and Crown Court sentencers. Moreover, rather than witnessing significant shifts between immediate custody and non-custodial options for women, a key finding of this analysis concerns the shifting landscape within non-
Partner Abuse, 4(3): 380-398., 2013
This article uses qualitative data gathered through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 40 ... more This article uses qualitative data gathered through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 40 women in the United Kingdom who identified as having experienced abuse (physical, sexual, emotional, and/or financial) in a previous same-sex relationship. Participants’ narratives of “life after abuse” are examined through two lenses; the first contributing to understandings of the varied and enduring material, psychological and relational impacts of abuse, and the second offering insights into the cultural values that shape such narratives. Applying Arthur Frank’s (1995) illness narratives, this article argues that narratives emphasizing recovery (“restitution”) or transformation (“quest”) are culturally privileged over a “chaos” narrative. It also proposes a fourth narrative of “active recovery.” The article concludes that recovery from partner abuse is neither a linear process nor one guaranteed to reach an end point. Further research is needed to understand how to better support survivors of partner abuse to move toward recovery.
Feminism & Psychology, 21(2), 233-239., 2011
This reflection addresses the challenge which violence and abuse in women’s same-sex relationship... more This reflection addresses the challenge which violence and abuse in women’s same-sex relationships pose to lesbian feminist conceptualizations of woman-to-woman relationships as egalitarian and non-violent. Whilst recognizing the value of the ideals which lesbian feminism promoted in terms of presenting an alternative to patriarchal oppression and domination, this reflection draws upon data from the author’s qualitative study of woman-to-woman partner abuse to identify the implications of such ideals for women’s disclosure of and understanding of their experiences of abuse. For some participants, the pervasiveness of expectations of mutuality and non-violence in woman-to-woman relationships contributed to the silence and denial which surrounds woman-to-woman partner abuse. In spite of this, this reflection maintains that there is still scope for lesbian feminism to make a positive contribution towards promoting democratic, egalitarian, and non-abusive relationships. In order for this to be possible however, lesbian feminist thinking must first develop a more inclusive understanding of woman-to-woman relationships which confronts the reality that some women’s experiences of woman-to-woman relationships run contrary to the longed-for lesbian utopia which was central to 1970s lesbian feminist ideals.
Gender and Interpersonal Violence: Language, Action and Representation, 2008
Encyclopedia of Women in Today's World, 2011
to this mission, and its activities have included propaganda, protests and violence against these... more to this mission, and its activities have included propaganda, protests and violence against these groups during its various waves of activity. The KKK continues to exist today albeit in a diminished and fragmented form. However, Klan activity is believed to be increasing in a backlash to economic instability and perceived threats to white Christian values. The position of women within the KKK has shifted during key waves of Klan activity. The KKK has traditionally been a male-dominated organization but has occupied a contradictory position in relation to women, both reinforcing traditional female roles whilst gradually recognizing the benefits of attracting women members.
Encyclopedia of Gender and Society, 2009
Encyclopedia of Women in Today's World, 2011
Encyclopedia of Gender and Society, 2009