Dr Emma Katz’s ground-breaking research into children and coercive control continues to be in demand. She has recently given three invited talks to large audiences of practitioners and her research is having a significant impact on services for children and families. This work will be showcased in REF2021 as an impact case study for Hope’s Social Work and Social Policy unit.
She has travelled to London twice; for the Domestic Violence Coordinators Network event ‘Children Living with Coercive Control: Access to Justice and Recovery’ in November and again this month to speak in front of 130 social workers and policy-makers at Kensington Town Hall.
In February, Dr Katz also gave a three-hour workshop in Cheltenham to Gloucestershire police officers. Feedback included: “Your lecture really reinforced the messages that coercive control is a high-risk factor for the victim and should be taken seriously, and I now have the ammunition I need to persuade and guide my team in that direction”’ and “Your input enhanced my understanding of the complex dynamics that may be affecting our victims and made me more empathetic and patient”.
Meanwhile, Dr Katz was excited to hear that a talk she gave a year ago in the Scottish Highlands has influenced policy. It was stated: “We did submit a paper to our local Child Protection Committee as a consequence of the presentation you gave last year. We have agreed a number of measures, including more joint working in our respective action plans and strategies. We have agreed to make violence against women training in Highland mandatory for a number of staff working directly with children and young people, including social workers, health visitors and particular staff in education.”
Dr Emma Katz is Lecturer in Childhood and Youth and serves on Hope’s REF Steering Group as REF Unit Coordinator for Social Work and Social Policy.