The Home Affairs Select Committee into Domestic Violence and Forced Marriage

eConsultation open from 21 January to 29 February 2008

The Home Affairs Select Committee is holding an eConsultation as part of its current inquiry into domestic violence.  The inquiry will be set up to evaluate Government policy on domestic violence.  The Committee is running an eConsultation because it wants to hear about the experiences of survivors of domestic violence, including forced marriage and honour based violence.

The Committee will use the information gathered through the eConsultation, alongside evidence given my experts in oral questioning sessions during January and February, to make recommendations to the Government about its policy, services and legislation on domestic violence and forced marriage.  Quotes from the eConsultation will be used to support the Committees final report and recommendations.

Click here to have your say

How it works

The eConsultation will run for 6 weeks and will consists of a message board arranged around a number of topics.  Discussion topics will include the prevention and identification of abuse; victims’ experiences of support services, including for specific needs (such as LGBT, BME or male victims); and experience of the criminal justice system (police, courts, prisons and probation). 

Participants who access the site will be asked to select an anonymous username and password.  They will not be asked for any further registration details – this is because the Committee want to promote absolute anonymity to reassure users.  Participants will then be able to read posted messages on the site and reply to or add their own comments.

Protecting user identity

The Committee recognises that those it is trying to reach may be vulnerable.  It has therefore designed the eConsultation with careful thought to protect the safety of participants in the following ways:

• No personal or contact details will be requested
• The site will have a ‘hide the screen’ quick exit button
• The site contains information about how to clear internet cache and history
• The site has a clear privacy policy
• There are strict discussion guidelines relating to abusive, threatening or harassing messages.  Any such messages will not be posted
• All messages will be moderated by trained moderators before being posted on the site.  Any personal identifiers will be removed, as will any abusive, threatening or defamatory postings.

Getting involved

The Committee would like as many people as possible who have experienced domestic violence and/or forced marriage to contribute to the eConsultation.  If you are an individual and fel that you, a close friend or family member have a relevant experience, please get online and get talking.

Click here to have your say

For further information about the eConsultation please contact Gemma Buckland or Lis Bates.

For media matters please contact the Committee Media Officer: Jess Bridges-Palmer.

Click here for the overall terms of reference for the inquiry.