title: Risk management in stalking victims: A multi-agency approach to victim advocacy

authors: Jerath, Kritika

subjects: Social Sciences

abstract: A pilot Multi-Agency Stalking Intervention Programme (MASIP), introduced in three police forces in England, provided among a range of interventions, the delivery of safety planning advice, and needs-based support for stalking victims through a bespoke advocacy service. The ultimate aim of MASIP was to equip victims with tools to manage the variety of harms caused by stalking, as well as enable them to access the criminal justice system with adequate support. This study explores the personal needs of stalking victims from the perspectives of stalking victims, advocates and stakeholders involved in the intervention program, as part of a larger evaluation study conducted by the authors. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a total of 10 stalking victims who participated in the MASIP, three advocates who directly interacted with the victims, and 19 MASIP stakeholders involved in the project. Findings revealed that overall, victims believed the advocacy service aided their ability to cope with the realities of stalking. Having a victim advocate as single point of contact made victims’ journey through the justice system easier to navigate, provided them with the emotional support that they required to deal with the harms of stalking and the practical advice offered regarding their personal safety, and allowed them to feel in control of their own risk management. Advocates reported that the multi-agency context helped in risk assessment and ability to design and deliver bespoke support plans, which uniquely improved victims’ engagement with the service. Due to the small size and possibly biased sample, our conclusions must be interpreted with caution.

text: Risk management in stalking victims: A multi-agency approach to victim advocacy A pilot Multi-Agency Stalking Intervention Programme (MASIP), introduced in three police forces in England, provided among a range of interventions, the delivery of safety planning advice, and needs-based support for stalking victims through a bespoke advocacy service. The ultimate aim of MASIP was to equip victims with tools to manage the variety of harms caused by stalking, as well as enable them to access the criminal justice system with adequate support. This study explores the personal needs of stalking victims from the perspectives of stalking victims, advocates and stakeholders involved in the intervention program, as part of a larger evaluation study conducted by the authors. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a total of 10 stalking victims who participated in the MASIP, three advocates who directly interacted with the victims, and 19 MASIP stakeholders involved in the project. Findings revealed that overall, victims believed the advocacy service aided their ability to cope with the realities of stalking. Having a victim advocate as single point of contact made victims’ journey through the justice system easier to navigate, provided them with the emotional support that they required to deal with the harms of stalking and the practical advice offered regarding their personal safety, and allowed them to feel in control of their own risk management. Advocates reported that the multi-agency context helped in risk assessment and ability to design and deliver bespoke support plans, which uniquely improved victims’ engagement with the service. Due to the small size and possibly biased sample, our conclusions must be interpreted with caution.

year: 2020-12-15

title: Consumer-centric protection for online social networks

authors: Akram, Raja Naeem

abstract: Online Social Networks (OSNs) are a unique construct that is shaped by the advancement and availability of Internet technologies. A large portion of internet users make use of OSN services to share and celebrate their personal lives with friends and family. A substantial proportion of these shared experiences revolve around privacy-sensitive information. The OSN services handling privacy-sensitive information deploy state-of-the-art security and privacy preserving mechanisms. However, these protections are, to a great extent, not consumer-centric: this is the main focus of this study. In this paper, we define the notion of Consumer-Centric Protection (CCP) for OSNs. In this proposal, the individual user controls how her data can be accessed by her contacts (e.g. friends and family members) and others, thus giving control of user data back to the rightful owner — the user. This work is still in progress and in this paper we present our preliminary results

text: Consumer-centric protection for online social networks Online Social Networks (OSNs) are a unique construct that is shaped by the advancement and availability of Internet technologies. A large portion of internet users make use of OSN services to share and celebrate their personal lives with friends and family. A substantial proportion of these shared experiences revolve around privacy-sensitive information. The OSN services handling privacy-sensitive information deploy state-of-the-art security and privacy preserving mechanisms. However, these protections are, to a great extent, not consumer-centric: this is the main focus of this study. In this paper, we define the notion of Consumer-Centric Protection (CCP) for OSNs. In this proposal, the individual user controls how her data can be accessed by her contacts (e.g. friends and family members) and others, thus giving control of user data back to the rightful owner — the user. This work is still in progress and in this paper we present our preliminary results

year: 2014

title: "Kia Mauri Tau!" Narratives of recovery from disabling mental health problems

authors: Lapsley, Hilary

subjects: Maori

abstract: A bicultural research team at the University of Waikato successfully applied for funding from the Health Research Council to do a qualitative research project in the area of ‘pathways to wellness’. The Mental Health Narratives Project set out to gather forty narratives of mental ill health, recovery and life after recovery by interviewing Maori and non-Maori women and men who once had a disabling mental health problem. We aimed to describe journeys to mental health, identify key themes in accounts of the recovery process and describe the impact of the experience of mental ill health on life after recovery.

text: "Kia Mauri Tau!" Narratives of recovery from disabling mental health problems A bicultural research team at the University of Waikato successfully applied for funding from the Health Research Council to do a qualitative research project in the area of ‘pathways to wellness’. The Mental Health Narratives Project set out to gather forty narratives of mental ill health, recovery and life after recovery by interviewing Maori and non-Maori women and men who once had a disabling mental health problem. We aimed to describe journeys to mental health, identify key themes in accounts of the recovery process and describe the impact of the experience of mental ill health on life after recovery.

year: 2002