Data analysis is central to an understanding of our world and the people and cultures within it. Quantifying the human experience is no easy feat, but we use data daily to do just that: project other people's experiences to anticipate our own. If we use the example of education, what would be the difference between a Master of Data Science from RMIT and any other University? You'd look at reviews to find out, wouldn't you? Those reviews constitute data and previous experiences from graduates or current students. You would weigh up how many positive experiences there were against the negative, and you would come to a decision.
Now, it may appear that data is being used to improve, possibly save, the lives of many innocent people. A recent study conducted by Swansea University in the United Kingdom found that by combining data from police reports and emergency services, an accurate profile of domestic abuse victims could be drawn up. The potential for this data to help those stuck in abusive households is staggering, and if used properly, it could save lives. The emergence of this study has many wondering, how we properly apply it.
The Study
Carried out between August 12, 2015, and March 31, 2020, Swansea University conducted a study involving police domestic abuse data linked with health data in South Wales, UK. The study aimed to address shortcomings with current investigation methodologies. The 1998 Crime and Disorder Act specifies that agencies with data relevant to crime reduction strategies must collaborate. The difficulty is that this collaboration is difficult across entire agencies, although it happens fairly regularly on an individual basis.
The study aimed to compare health data with police records of domestic abuse that resulted in a PPN (Public Protection Notice) to analyse common outcomes associated with the response of emergency services, emergency hospitalisation, or death within 12 months of lodging the PPN. In short, the study wanted to see if there were any common trends in the health records of those who had submitted a PPN, and if so, what were the implications of those trends, particularly when it addressing the response of emergency services, hospitalisation as a result of abuse, and mortality rates.
Over the 232-day period, the study examined a staggering 8709 domestic abuse victims, over 70% of whom were female. The results showed that 41%–49% of victims experienced an outcome (ES response, hospitalisation, death) within 12 months of the initial report. Factors that enhanced the likelihood of having an outcome within 12 months of the report included:
- Child victim.
- Submitting multiple PPNs after the initial incident.
- Injury at the scene of the initial abuse report.
- Assessed high risk.
- Victim referral to other agencies.
- History of violence.
- Attempted strangulation.
- Pregnancy.
Just to clear up these results, in less than a year, 3544 children, men, women, and pregnant women either had to be saved by emergency services due to their abuse, had to be admitted to hospital as a result of their abuse, or died because of their abuse. Children made up 95% of the victims experiencing these outcomes.
Silver Lining
The aforementioned results can feel bleak; however, the overall study yielded some very hopeful information. The study showed that evidence of domestic abuse is recognisable across available datasets. The SAIL databank (Secure Anonymised Information Linkage) allowed the analysts in this study to examine participants' health records securely. The results showed that domestic abuse can be reliably traced through patient healthcare data, allowing the earliest possible intervention before the direct involvement of law enforcement.
The potential for saving lives with this information can't be ignored. If victims are repeatedly visiting their GP or hospital for injuries or conditions consistent with the study, healthcare providers could become the new front-line of defence for domestic abuse victims. No longer would they have to worry about keeping things confidential for fear of retaliation by their abuser, but they could seek treatment, sanctuary, and support all from the same place.
The study states that the appropriate use of these findings could reduce police callouts, freeing up a burdened law-keeping force, as well as reduce hospital admissions due to abuse, and drastically reduce negative outcomes for victims of abuse.
Where to Go from Here
The Robert Bolt play A Man For All Seasons likens the law to a great forest where one may hide from the devil's evil. When debating the necessity of law against the pursuit of evil, a character called Roper says that he would gladly cut down every law to get to the devil. Sir Thomas More, the main character, rebuts, saying, "And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned round on you, where would you hide, [Roper], the laws all being flat?"
The law is designed to protect a community from chaos, and the expectation is that the law of a sovereign state applies to all people with equality. This is why domestic abuse cases can be frustrating. We hear regularly of people dying in abusive households, even after they had reported it. Yet, because the perpetrator's actions didn't result in physical harm or couldn't be proven empirically, law enforcement could not act. As a result, the victims are often left to fend for themselves with their abuser and suffer the consequences.
The law protects, but it can also be a difficult system to navigate for people who need urgent help. The only way to use this data in a way that will help everyone is to introduce laws that allow healthcare professionals to intervene on behalf of patients who fit domestic abuse profiles, according to this study. Such a change could be an important first step towards providing additional support for victims.
Furthermore, the mortality rate evident in the study is arguably too high for any first-world country. Effective use of this data depends on the ability of our nation's lawmakers to understand the trends it illuminates and devise a legal outline of the point at which emergency personnel (other than the police) can become involved in a potential domestic abuse case.
However, this is just one study. Although it is an incredible insight into the world of abuse victims and offers another potential avenue of desperately needed help, more research will likely need to be done before it can be formalised into law.
