Improving Justice in Child Contact (IJCC) research project
'Improving Justice in Child Contact (IJCC)' is a European funded partnership project across five countries seeking to enhance children's participation in decision-making.
Latest news
We have two new blogs - both written by young people.
- Read Maria's story of going through child contact processes, including her poems to her father and to her judge.
- Read Yello!'s experience of making animations so that young people affected by domestic abuse would know that they are not alone.
Other recent blogs include a summary of virtual event in June, 'Domestic Violence and Child Contact: European Perspectives', a look at how we need child-friendly and effective systems for complaints and redress to make children's rights real and how children and women affected by domestic abuse are put under particular pressures by COVID-19.
> Domestic Violence and Child Contact: European Perspectives
Interested in how the project is going in different countries?
> Hear our Bulgarian partners talk about a recent project success (in English) or watch a film from our Portuguese partners about their experiences (in Portuguese, with Portuguese or English subtitles).
Improving Justice in Child Contact (IJCC) is a partnership research project across five European countries, running from November 2018 - January 2021.
The project's goal is participation of children and young people in decisions around child contact for families affected by domestic violence. This project is funded by the European Union’s Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme (2014 - 2020).
Children and young people are at the heart of the work. Each country will be exploring ways for children and young people to participate in their particular context. Partners will start by looking at two models which have been explored in Scotland:
- A domestic abuse children’s rights officer;
- Power Up/Power Down - a partnership project between Scottish Women’s Aid and the Children and Young People’s Commissioner for Scotland, a blueprint for directly engaging with children affected by domestic abuse.
We will also be looking at the things that help and the things that stop children’s views being heard in child contact decisions for families affected by domestic violence. Each research partner will work with key organisations (e.g. police, social work, judiciary), as well as children and young people, to agree what needs to be done in their countries.
The project will be evaluated using methods based on 'contribution analysis'. Learning from the project will be shared within each partner country, across the project partners working together, and also with the public and stakeholders more widely.
Research partners
| Bulgaria |
Български център за джендър изследвания: Bulgarian Gender Research Foundation |
|---|---|
| Cyprus |
Μεσογειακό Ινστιτούτο Μελετών Κοινωνικού Φύλου: Mediterranean Institute for Gender Studies |
| Portugal |
Centro de Estudos para a Intervenção Social: Centre for Studies for Social Intervention UMAR – União de Mulheres Alternativa e Resposta: Women's Union for Alternative and Response Access UMAR's dedicated website for the project (Portuguese language) |
| Romania |
Fundatia Centrul de Mediere si Securitate Comunitara: Community Safety and Mediation Centre Foundation (CMSC) Access CMSC's dedicated website for the project (Romanian language) |
| Scotland |
Visit Scottish Women's Aid dedicated project page (English language) Centre for Research on Families and Relationships, University of Edinburgh Childhood & Youth Studies Research Group, Moray House School of Education, University of Edinburgh |
Resources / Project outputs
Project information sheets
A brief summary of the project is available:
Further information
For further information, contact the project team at the at the University of Edinburgh.
Image from 'one thousand words' © Laura Dodsworth
Support
If you are looking for advice or information about domestic abuse, support is available 24 hours a day through 'Scotland's domestice abuse and forced marriage helpline' on 0800 027 1234, or email the helpline:
Scotland’s domestic abuse and forced marriage helpline (website)
Information on help available throughout Europe can be accessed through /Women Against Violence Europe.
> Women Against Violence Europe
Project's funding
This project is funded by the European Union’s Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme (2014-2020).
The content of this web page represents the views of the author only and is his/her sole responsibility. The European Commission does not accept any responsibility for use that may be made of the information it contains.