Exploring informal support for survivors of domestic and sexual violence and abuse

Domestic and sexual violence and abuse (DSVA), are violations of human rights that damage health and wellbeing, and are experienced by 1 in 3 women across the world. A large proportion of survivors disclose their experiences or seek support from those around them, sometimes in parallel with seeking professional support from specialist services, but frequently not. The informal support offered to women survivors by friends, relatives, neighbours, and colleagues is often crucial in survivors’ lives, and when positive, can reduce both the likelihood of future abuse, and the effects on survivors’ health and wellbeing. Little research globally has been undertaken directly with people providing informal and peer support to survivors, particularly in low and middle income countries (LMIC). Building on research we have begun conducting on this challenging topic, we are looking for a PhD student interested in working with us to extend the current understanding around community-orientated approaches to DSVA. The PhD will fill existing gaps in knowledge, providing both conceptual and evidential contributions to this field of research. We anticipate that the student will carry out a systematic review of the literature, and qualitative research with friends and family members of survivors, but are flexible about the specific research focus and methods for the PhD; these will depend on the specific interests of the applicant, including the setting they choose for the fieldwork (either within the UK, or in a LMIC). As an example, the aims of the PhD could be to: (i) systematically review literature reporting studies of peer support interventions for survivors of DSVA, (ii) explore the experiences of friends and family members of DSVA survivors in a low-income country setting, (iii) compare the experiences of friends and family members of DSVA survivors across different geographical locations.

The supervisors for this PhD (Professor Gene Feder - http://www.bris.ac.uk/social-community-medicine/people/gene-s-feder/index.html & Dr Alison Gregory - http://www.bris.ac.uk/social-community-medicine/people/alison-c-gregory/index.html) have substantial experience in researching DSVA, including mixed-methods trials, qualitative research, and systematic reviews. Professor Feder leads a team of DSVA researchers within the Centre for Academic Primary Care, and Dr Gregory is a specialist on the topic of informal supporters of survivors.

This PhD is offered on a self-funding basis; it is open to applicants with funding or those applying for funding.