A UNIVERSITY of Gibraltar professor will be helping the Ministry of Justice run an online survey for victims and survivors of domestic violence to describe their experiences anonymously.
Minister for Justice and Equality Samantha Sacramento launched the survey to use โreal experiences and sound evidenceโ to help her shape a new government domestic abuse strategy.
Sacramento, who recently brought domestic abuse law on the Rock in line with that of UK, said she wants victims โto be at the forefront of our efforts to combat domestic abuseโ.
Professor Zsolt Demetrovics, Chair of the Centre of Excellence in Responsible Gaming, will lead the research.
The survey is open to residents of Gibraltar aged 18 or over who have survived domestic abuse.
The government statement said the questionnaire wants to get โhonest opinions and feedbackโ from victims, highlighting โthere are no right or wrong answersโ.
Although all responses will be anonymous, people who fill in the surveys will be able to share their details to take part in the second phase of the research project.
This second phase will involve interviews with abuse survivors who can โshare their experiences and viewsโ with staff.
The online survey will take 10-15 minutes to complete.
Authorities said they โare grateful for the courage and openness of participants in sharing their experiencesโ.
โBy providing these valuable insights, victims and survivors who have been through this are helping us shape policies and services that truly meet their needs.
โTheir views matter, and we are committed to ensuring that they are at the forefront of our efforts to combat domestic abuse,” Sacramento said.
โParticipating in this research is a unique and important opportunity and I am grateful to all those who will help us shape future policy.โ
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Gibraltar, Professor Catherine Bachleda, said she was โdelightedโ to take part in the research.
โDrawing on the unique strengths of our Centre of Excellence in Responsible Gaming, [we] look forward to be able to contribute to the development of a comprehensive Domestic Abuse strategy for Gibraltar,โ she added.
READ MORE:
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- Domestic abusers will face the full strength of the law in Gibraltar thanks to a new bill
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