Across landscapes and lifespan: causes and solutions of gender-based violence from survivors of sexual violence against women and girls (VAWG)

Meyrick, Jane; McCartan, Kieran; Eason, Anne; Curtis, Bethany; Rees, Ella

Abstract

Violence Against Women and Girls in public spaces has become a focus for violence prevention policy since the murder of Sarah Everard but is this how survivors experience VAWG? This study listened to survivors as part of Safer Spaces funded research. We report on qualitative data in the context of a review of policy and practice across one UK region. 13 survivors took part in online focus groups, safeguarded within a specialist sexual violence support service (SARSAS). Thematic analysis highlighted a discrepancy of policy and survivors’ perception of safety and spaces as well as the social inequality framing of cause and prevention. Survivors solutions focused on education and prevention. This dissonance of approaches was most acute in survivors experiences of the criminal justice and policing systems and raised examples of how survivors saw their own vulnerability making them both a target but also a less credible victim. The findings are set within contextual area statistics of a justice gap which suggest only 0.5% of rapes result in a conviction. Survivors in this study are clear about what they need from services and recommendations using the existing evidence base are summarised.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 17, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Nov 12, 2024
• Deposit Date: Jul 19, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 13, 2025
• Journal: Journal of Sexual Aggression
• Print ISSN: 1355-2600
• Electronic ISSN: 1742-6545
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis (Routledge)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13552600.2024.2421197
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/10862018