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CASE NOTES

Practitioner: Celeste Barry, team manager
Field: Domestic violence outreach service
Location: Cheshire
Client: Susan Baker, 45, is married to Peter, 51. They have three children: Roy, 15, Julie, nine, who is being bullied and Amy, five, who is displaying behavioural problems. In the past Susan has self-harmed and suffered from anxiety and depression.
Case history: For years Susan has been subjected to physical, emotional and psychological abuse from Peter. He repeatedly tells her that everything is her fault, that she is “fat”, “a useless mother” and “mental”. Although her parents and siblings are close by, Susan has not recently seen or heard from them because Peter does not want them calling at or ringing the house. She is also heavily in debt, having been pressurised by Peter to take out a loan for £10,000. He drinks alcohol excessively and is unemployed. Susan has two part-time jobs. After a physical attack on Susan that needed stitches, Peter was bailed back to the matrimonial home. The children blame Susan for getting their father into trouble.

Dilemma: Susan struggles with the idea of leaving Peter but realises she has to in order to improve her and her children’s lives.
Risk Factor: By planning to leave and take the children she is putting herself under a higher risk of physical attack.
Outcome: Susan and the children have moved out into a new home. The court is to consider supervised contact between  the children and Peter.

Domestic abuse accounts for a quarter of all violent crime and has the highest rate of repeat victimisation of any crime. Although one in four women will experience violence in their lifetime from a partner or ex-partner, many believe that it is only happening to them or that it is normal, and so do little to change things.

"Women are often unaware of how much of what they are living with is abusive," says Celeste Barry, team manager of the Cheshire domestic violence outreach service, run by Stonham, which runs more than 30 women's refuges nationally. "And even if they do, they often don't believe there is anybody out there to help." This was certainly the case for Susan Baker, who was referred to the team by police after she suffered a vicious physical attack from her husband Peter.

Susan was contacted at first by phone while she was on her way to work - so Peter did not know. After a few calls she finally agreed to a face-to-face meeting at a safe place. Indeed, such is Peter's propensity to violence that we have also changed the name of the worker in this case study. "We showed her the wheel of abuse [a graphic aid] which helped her understand just how central the issues of power and control are, no matter what form the abuse takes. Susan didn't realise that what she thought was normal behaviour was, in fact, abuse."

A place at a refuge was ruled out, not least because Susan's son, Roy, who was studying for his GCSEs, would be considered too old. Among the complex work that was needed Barry began looking at safety planning for Susan and the children, risk management and coping strategies, and addressing the feelings of shame and humiliation that Susan felt for "allowing" herself to be abused.

"One of the most important realisations is that change is a process and not an event," says Barry. "Susan needed several months to process the information given to her. We must work at each woman's pace. Often this means one step forward and two steps back."

Typically, according to Barry, Susan was unsure what she wanted to do: "All she wanted was for the abuse to stop and the lovely husband she married to return. However, for Peter to change he would need to recognise his behaviour was the problem, and there was no indication that he felt he was doing anything wrong. Peter becomes physically abusive when he's drinking but he still chose to use alcohol."

Barry encouraged Susan to seek support to regain control of her everyday life. She went to see her GP about managing her depression, and she finally contacted agencies to support her children. Barry says: "However, because Susan had low self-esteem she found it difficult to approach people in authority. Nonetheless, by encouraging her to plan what she wanted to say and by arranging meetings she found this extremely empowering." Indeed, she soon felt strong enough to decide that she wanted a divorce and to move out with her children.

Susan re-established contact with her supportive family but without letting Peter know. "It was difficult for her as she had always been honest with Peter in the past but she knew that if she was to change things she needed to be strong," says Barry.

Peter was charged with common assault. "We arranged for Susan to make a pre-trial visit so she could meet a worker from the witness service, who was very good, and to familiarise herself with the court and its proceedings," says Barry. Peter was convicted and fined £30. They both returned home.

A few weeks later the council offered Susan a property in a different area. Barry says: "Susan was very worried about moving out and how Peter would react and behave. When a woman is seeking help or is moving out of an abusive relationship the risk to her escalates and we needed a new risk assessment and a risk management strategy.

"For Susan the work that she does with us is only the start of her new life without abuse. It will take enormous strength from her. We are only there to facilitate; the hard work comes from the women and children."


The journey this family has taken to be living in a non-abusive household, where relationships have equality at the centre, has not been easy. But, importantly, the children have been shown a different way to live. Barry says: "I believe that the work we are doing will still be effective in 20 years as the youngsters now grow up and realise that power and control within a relationship should be balanced between both partners."

Independent comment

For those working with cases of domestic abuse, managing risk is an everyday occurrence. Always at the forefront of one’s mind is the possibility that there will be a fatality, writes Joy Easterby.

Historically, agencies have colluded with perpetrators, placing the responsibility with the victim and not where it should be placed – with the abuser. This case highlights the predicament of women who experience abuse, and have the further trauma and insult of their abuser being given the most pathetic of court sentences.

I applaud Celeste Barry and her team who have worked hard to empower Baker and respect her choice to leave the relationship. Clearly, this had a positive outcome. Forcing Baker to leave could well have her resulted in her reverting to “hostage syndrome”; women often feel safer with their abuser than running the risk of co-operating with an agency that may take steps to remove their children. 

Measured in terms of child protection, Barry took significant but necessary risks, leaving the family exposed to possible death or serious injury. However, as this case shows it is possible to work with women in violent relationships without alienating them and monitor the safety of children.

The emphasis of working with young people is equally important; pressures from children can compound a woman’s decision to leave an abusive relationship, sometimes halting choice not only for herself but also for her children.

It is imperative that steps are taken to ensure Baker’s future safety and that of her children. Fitting Tunstall alarms in the new property should be a consideration, along with household security checks.

Joy Easterby is Darlington domestic abuse co-ordinator

Arguments for risk

• It is important that Sarah feels empowered and supported to make a decision about whether to stay or leave. As she gradually realises that Peter will not change she is stronger in her will to do whatever it takes. 
• Domestic abuse is all about power and control. A woman is at most risk when she decides to leave. This is the time when the control is being taken away. Indeed, a woman is killed at the hands of a partner every three days in the UK. Susan felt supported to manage this risk. 
• Child contact can take a long time to resolve. The children want to continue contact with Peter. "The value of a male role model is extremely important. But it must be a positive model," says Barry. "The only issue, generally, is that the contact is safe. The children must not be scared or abused, and their needs met during the contact visit."

Arguments against risk

• Sometimes it may well be a case of the better the devil you know. Peter is a violent man when he has been drinking. Susan has said that she just wants back the "lovely husband" she married. More sustained work needs to take place with Peter to help him recognise the cause and effects of his behaviour.
• The decision to leave presents concerns: what would be the safest way of moving out? Is there a time when Peter is out of the house? Where will the children be during the move? What safety measures have been installed at the new property? Have police been informed?
• There may well also be further difficulties with the children who have blamed Susan in the past. Often children will test boundaries and their behaviour can deteriorate. It can be difficult for an abused mother to set clear boundaries and to let her children know that she loves them but will not accept their behaviour.