BPS responds to launch of Northern Ireland fund to help tackle violence against women and girls

The funding, part of wider investment to be targeted at achieving the executive's vision of a 'society where women and girls are free from all forms of gender-based violence, abuse and harm', is intended to enable action at a local level.

It will support community networks and provide opportunities for grassroots organisations to play their part in tackling violence, harm and abuse against women and girls.

The BPS welcomed the funding. Dr Geraldine O'Hare, chair of the BPS's Northern Ireland Branch, said:

"The level of abuse against women and girls in Northern Ireland is truly shocking and can have lifelong impacts on victims, and so we wholeheartedly back this initiative.

"The society supports the collaborative approach the initiative takes and is pleased that the local change fund will focus on prevention."

Dr Susan Lagdon, a senior lecturer in psychology at Ulster University who led the executive office research into the issue, added:

"Intervention can play a significant part in ending this violence and this is particularly the case for those experiencing coercive control.

"The role of psychologists, as experts in human behaviour and emotions, in tackling this 'epidemic' of violence against women and girls is key and we are keen to work with colleagues across all sectors to bring the epidemic to an end." 

The local fund initiative is part of a seven-year strategy to end violence against women and girls in Northern Ireland. In its response to the strategy consultation and foundational action plan, the BPS said it supported the approach to focus on prevention and whole systems collaboration.

It also urged the need for a person-centred approach, stressing the importance of working with perpetrators to address root causes of abuse, identifying risky behaviours early to prevent abuse and recognising the complexity in terms of conditioning in relationships.

Psychologists could also assist with research to inform action to change public attitudes towards historical and cultural acceptance of many kinds of harms, abuse and violence as normal, the response says.

The launch of the fund comes as latest research by Ulster University suggests that 98 per cent of women from Northern Ireland who had taken part have experienced at least one form of violence or abuse in their lifetime, with half experiencing this before they were 11 years old.

Based on responses from more than 540 women, the research also found seven out of 10 experienced some form of violence or abuse in the last 12 months.