There is a wealth of research on domestic violence, including its scope, nature, and consequences for children and adults. Research results can be accessed in Icelandic, for example, on the chamber's website..
Status report foreign women who come to stay at the shelter was published in September 2020. The Reykjavík Women's Shelter received a grant from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Children's Affairs to carry out the project.
The aim of the work was, among other things, to find out what would have helped the women to get out of the abusive relationship sooner. The women were also asked about their experiences of violence, and their experiences were summarized.The women and perpetrators were interviewed, the proportion of foreign women with injuries was compiled, and the involvement of the police and health system was examined. The fate of the women after their stay was reviewed, and in some cases the information was compared with the situation of Icelandic women who sought help from the Women's Shelter.
Here is link to the report.
A report has now been published on the situation of children of foreign origin, children who fled their homes due to violence and had to stay in emergency shelters as a result. The report is called "What does mom say? – Children of foreign origin in the Women's Shelter"
The report was prepared by experts from the Reykjavík Women's Shelter with funding from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Children's Affairs. Mothers of fifteen children who stayed at the shelter in 2019 and 2020 were interviewed.
The report focuses, among other things, on how the child's mother experiences support and what services she has received from the system for her child because the child lives in a violent home. Mothers were asked about the involvement of maternity protection, school and child protection. The mother was also asked about the child's experience of violence; type and frequency of violence. Background information about the child was collected, such as age, gender, language skills and relationship with the perpetrator. An attempt was made to assess the child's quality of life by asking the mother about issues such as whether the child has someone to talk to, whether the child has good friends at school, participates in organized sports or is taking music lessons.
Here is link to the report
A recent study was conducted on the extent, nature and cost of domestic violence as it occurs at Landspítali University Hospital. The study is the first of its kind in Iceland. The title of the article is "Women and intimate partner violence: Prevalence of hospital visits and nature of injuries in the Icelandic population" and it was published in the research journal Scandinavian Journal of Public Health in April 2020.
Here is link to the article.
A report is now available that discusses "The feelings and experiences of victims of domestic violence and the personality characteristics of perpetrators"The Women's Shelter commissioned the report, while the Ministry of Welfare funded the project.
Below is research that has been conducted by, among others, the staff of the Women's Shelter.
"I don't really understand why no one noticed that there was violence going on there" – Final project for MA degree in Gender Studies
What is the experience of Icelandic women and women of foreign origin who leave abusive relationships?
Linkur: I don't really understand why no one noticed that there was violence going on there.
"It's hard to be alone and also hard to be with him"
Where do women of foreign origin go after staying at the Women's Shelter? What do they say about the service?
Link: It's hard to be alone and also hard to be with him.
"I don't know how I ended up here with this man"
A study of the circumstances and experiences of women of foreign origin who seek help at the Women's Shelter.
Link: I don't know how I ended up here with this man.
"Where should I go now? The situation of women who linger in the Women's Shelter" – Final project for MA degree in social work for professional qualifications
The aim of the study is to examine the situation of female victims of domestic violence who have sought refuge in the Women's Shelter, stayed there for a long time and had difficulty gaining independence as a result.
"I would have liked to have known" The importance of social education for immigrants – Final project for MA degree in sociology
The aim of my research is to shed light on the situation of women who migrate from countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA) to Iceland and find themselves in violent relationships.
Link: I would have liked to know
"Precursors of violence in intimate relationships and societal responses" – Final project ML in law
The main findings of the study of data from the Women's Shelter support the fact that perpetrators of violence are a cross-section of Icelandic society in terms of education and employment.
Link: Perpetrators of violence in intimate relationships and societal responses
"Looking at intimate partner violence in heterosexual relationships using Situational Action Theory" - Final project for the MSc degree in Criminology and Legal Procedure
SAT and Goffman's dramaturgical approach can both be applied to IPV; however, SAT works better in the IPV context than Goffman's dramaturgical approach. Results have demonstrated different factors are at play when IPV is analyzed, such as: witnessing domestic violence in childhood, alcohol use, jealousy, and pregnancy, among other factors. It seems that a combination of different factors may lead to IPV and not just one factor. These common factors lead to IPV even in different countries.
"Children's stay in the Women's Shelter; The Women's Shelter's activities with regard to children, children's experiences during their stay and mothers' wishes for services for them." – Final project for an MA degree in social work (the author of this project is not an employee of the shelter)
The objectives were divided into three and were intended to provide an overall view of how children who stay at the Women's Shelter are worked with. First, the focus was on the children's experiences during their stay at the Women's Shelter, second, the wishes of mothers who stay with their children at the Women's Shelter for services for them were explored, and third, the work with children at the Women's Shelter was explored.
Link: Children's stay in the women's shelter.
"Taking the Step. Women's Experiences of Leaving an Abusive Relationship" – Final project for an MA degree in sociology (the author of this project is not an employee of the shelter)
This study discusses women's experiences of ending abusive relationships with men. A qualitative research method was used and ten interviews were conducted with the same number of women. The study is divided into nine chapters. The first chapter discusses the background of the topic, the limitations of the study and defines the main concepts. The second chapter provides a theoretical discussion, a summary of previous research and the resources available to women in this situation, and introduces the purpose of the study. The third chapter explains the methods used in conducting the study, data collection and processing, as well as the research question. Chapters four to eight then discuss the results of the study. In the ninth and final chapter, the research question is answered by summarizing the main results and discussing them.
The results indicate that ending an abusive relationship causes women a lot of stress. The breakup of a relationship can be accompanied by fear of the man, worries about finances and housing, as well as stigma from society. All of the women had health problems, both physical and mental, both during the relationship and after it ended. Half of the women are not in the labor market today due to illness. In addition, the women believed that the resources that can help women in this situation are not good enough and that changes are needed.
