Introduction

This chapter will focus on the use of Family Group Conferences (FGCs) in cases of domestic violence and abuse (DVA). It begins with an explication of DVA, both as a global phenomenon and within a UK context, focusing upon the impact and issues for children and young people. Then discourse and practice surrounding intervention and service responses will be analysed in relation to current multiagency approaches and the Coordinated Community Response model which incorporates child protection practices. The chapter will then move to discuss the use of FGCs in cases of DVA across the globe in order to provide a broader context for their usage, recognising that within the UK this is fairly limited. The chapter will draw on existing research and evidence to demonstrate the potential of FGCs to address DVA. It will take a critical perspective and address the challenges for using FGCs in this complex area of practice. In the final section of the chapter, a case study is presented which exemplifies how FGCs are currently being used with success to address DVA in the UK. The chapter will conclude by providing some recommendations for practice.

A global problem: domestic violence and abuse

The World Health Organisation (WHO) (2013: online) has described domestic violence and abuse as a ‘global health problem of epidemic proportions’ and WHO defines violence against women as:

While WHO acknowledges the gender-based nature of domestic abuse in that the definition it provides is focused on violence against women, the Home Office (a UK government department, responsible for immigration, security and law and order) uses a gender-neutral definition of DVA as a way to depict it as an umbrella category. The Home Office describes DVA as: