Information about the DAPHNE II programme and background to the research project
The Daphne programme
Making the Invisible Visible is a domestic violence research project supported by the European Union's DAPHNE II programme. This programme aims to assist organisations that develop measures and actions to prevent or to combat all types of violence against children, young people and women and to protect the victims and groups at-risk.
In ancient Greek mythology, Daphne was a pure, innocent young woman pursued by the god Apollo who had fallen in love with her. Desperate to fend off Apollo’s advances, Daphne called upon her father, the river god Peneus, to help her. As Apollo touched Daphne, the river god turned her into a laurel bush, which is daphne in Greek.
Making the Invisible Visible
The starting point of the Making the Invisible Visible project is the fear that a higher prevalence of domestic violence exists in affluent communities than is reported to agencies such as the police or health professionals.
From this starting point the project focuses on three sub-themes: issues associated with rurality, the impact of domestic violence on children, and victims' access to services.
There are three partners involved in the project, each developing one of the key themes; Surrey County Council in the UK are the lead partner and are focusing on rural issues, the City of Uppsala in Sweden are focusing on the impact on children, and the regional health authority in theValle d’Aosta region in Italy are focusing on access to services.
We hope that the main outcome of the project will be an evidence base for future work and an increased level of awareness about the issue we are focussing upon. The evidence base will include an evaluation and presentation of the research findings, a forward strategy including recommended actions, and a web-based knowledge centre. We hope that by undertaking this important piece of research we can encourage either additional research or the development of more effective policy and practice.
The intended audience for the Making the Invisible Visible project is public service providers (health and social services, the police and judiciary, education, and housing), national and regional policy makers, and interest groups.