The West Yorkshire police force has given specialist domestic abuse training to 3,210 officers, staff and employees from partner agencies across the county since March.
Written by SafeLives, the Domestic Abuse Matters culture change programme recognises the difficult role frontline officers have in dealing with domestic abuse. Therefore, the course provides them with ways they can better respond to it and looks at changing skills and attitudes by challenging inappropriate language and behaviour.
Areas covered include coercive and controlling behaviour, understanding perpetrators, digital domestic abuse, assessing risk, male victims of domestic abuse, and abuse involving older people.
Detective Superintendent Vanessa Rolfe, who leads the force’s response to violence against women and girls (VAWG), said officers and staff will continue to receive internal training in domestic abuse, with the SafeLives programme enabling continuous improvement including for external partners.
