IMPRODOVA – Improving Frontline Responses to High Impact Domestic Violence

IMPRODOVA is a research and innovation project for improving the work of the police and other frontline responders to domestic violence in European countries. The project studies the human and social factors that shape institutional interference with domestic violence. Domestic violence, or violence in close relationships, refers to the actions by a close person or former partner that causes physical, sexual or psychological harm, such as physical violence, sexual coercion, psychological abuse and dominant behavior. The IMPRODOVA project aims at providing comprehensive solutions, based on extensive empirical research, particularly in addressing high impact domestic violence.

The study looks at international policy programs and proceeds through legal obligations and national recommendations to practical processes and practices, to investigate how the police and other frontline actors, such as health care and social sector professionals, respond to domestic violence in various European countries. IMPRODOVA will produce recommendations, guidelines and training ideas for European police organizations and professionals in the health care and social sector, taking into account cooperation with key players in the third sector. This will help to improve and harmonize the ways in which the authorities and other actors respond to domestic violence. Simultaneously, a positive trend will be created so that domestic violence is more often reported to the police and health care and social workers.

Timescale: May 2018 – elokuu 2021

Partners: Coordinator Deutsche Hochschule der Polizei (Germany). Other partners include Polizei Berlin (Germany), Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster (Germany), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (France), Centre de Recherche de l'Ecole des Officiers de la Gendarmerie Nationale (France), Vienna Centre for Societal Security (Austria), Bundesministerium für Inneres (Austria), Ministry of Internal Administration (Portugal), National Institute for Health and Welfare (Finland), University of Maribor (Slovenia), Ministry of Interior, General Police Directorate (Slovenia), University of Glasgow (United Kingdom/Scotland), Police Scotland (United Kingdom/Scotland), FORESEE Research Group (Hungary), European Research Services GmbH (Germany).

Funding: European Commission’s Horizon 2020 program. The project’s total budget is EUR 2.9 million, of which the Police University College’s share is approximately EUR 316,000.

Contact persons at the Police University College: Project Manager Jarmo Houtsonen and Researcher Marianne Mela. Email addresses: [email protected]