Revisiting the Other Side of Eden (ROSE) – rural domestic violence project report

Mecinska, Lula ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0741-130X , Bennett, Louise, Blackhurst, Holly, Bunting, Nicole, Cleaver, Eliot, Connelly, Elizabeth, Cousins, Hannah, Crowe, Jason, Evans, Cath, Lowe, Jennifer, Magnus, Lewis, Matthew, Florida, McCorkell, Ellie, McLelland, Jade, Moore, Taylor, Pickering, Beth, Seville, Carla, Solomon, Ioana, Walker, Kyle, Whitaker, Mathew Tomos and Williams, Ian (2024) Revisiting the Other Side of Eden (ROSE) – rural domestic violence project report. School of Justice, University of Cumbria, UK.. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

The former Eden District, roughly corresponding to the geographic area of the Eden Valley, is a significantly rural area with the lowest population density in England. The ONS notes that significant rurality may be an obstacle to accessing specialist services (ONS 2011) a concern that persists today (ONS 2023). Published over 20 years ago, ‘The Other Side of Eden’ (TOSE) uncovered the complexity of the situation relating to domestic violence (DV) in the area (King & Warbrick 2001). The findings of this report were meant to serve local organisations, members of the Eden Forum Against Domestic Violence - to improve the provisions for victims/survivors (Rouncefield, 2012). The original research carried out by academics at St Martin’s college, a University of Cumbria legacy institution, found that the wide dispersal of the community in the rural area of Eden District and sporadic public transport further limited access to key services, including those who could assist victims of domestic violence. At the same time, the close community bonds in small villages often worked against those wishing to escape domestic violence, making it harder to leave. Finally, the original research uncovered deficits in training and knowledge around DV amongst key service providers, including police. Over the past six years, Criminology staff and students have used the former Eden District case as a basis for ongoing tracking of changes to the findings of the report, under the umbrella of ‘ROSE – Revisiting the Other Side of Eden’. The aim of the project was to understand the dimensions of rural domestic violence. Some of the objectives included tracking the changes that have taken place since TOSE research took place, assessing the current provisions and barriers against the findings of the original report. We also hoped to identify areas of focus which were not present in the previous research, attending to the concept of ‘rurality’ in both its geographical and social aspects. By making ROSE a pedagogic tool in the classroom, this ‘close to home’, rural crime-oriented project on domestic violence and abuse was also aimed at empowering future justice advocates through action responses to teaching on DV&A (McQueeny, 2016). A strand of the work involved a rolling review of literature, with a thought experiment in applying it to the local, Cumbrian reality based on students’ experiences and knowledge. The successive student cohorts also undertook waves of documentary and mapping research, based on their interests or current conditions.

Item Type:	Report
Publisher:	School of Justice, University of Cumbria, UK.
Departments:	Institute of Business, Industry and Leadership > Policing and Criminology
Additional Information:	Report written by Dr Lula Mecinska, Senior Lecturer in Criminology and Policing, University of Cumbria, UK with the support of Louise Bennett, Holly Blackhurst, Nicole Bunting, Eliot Cleaver, Elizabeth Connelly, Hannah Cousins, Jason Crowe, Cath Evans, Jennifer Lowe, Lewis Magnus, Florida Matthew, Ellie McCorkell, Jade McLelland, Taylor Moore, Beth Pickering, Carla Seville, Ioana Solomon, Kyle Walker, Mathew Tomos Whitaker, Ian Williams.
Depositing User:	Anna Lupton
Date Deposited:	24 Jul 2024 14:07
Last Modified:	24 Jul 2024 14:15
URI:	https://insight.cumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/7816

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