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Everyday Disasters and Violences Research Group (EDV-RG)

Welcome to the UCL Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction鈥檚 Everyday Disasters and Violences Research Group. We investigate risks from everyday hazards and vulnerabilities such as gender-based and structural violences and systems of marginalisation.

About

The Everyday Disasters and Violences Research Group is a multidisciplinary network of researchers, policymakers, and practitioners as well as advocates who are investigating how everydayism and systematic violences pose risks.

We use this knowledge to contribute to improving the way that policies, practices, governance, social and legal systems, and societal services can improve their responses to marginalisations, gendered and intersectional injustices, and violences leading to perpetual everyday disaster risks.

We investigate 鈥榚verydayism鈥� against specific marginalised groups (undocumented, migrants, refugees, ) particularly and including everyone in initiatives such as for warnings. 鈥楽mall鈥� disasters that can have a higher cumulative effect than those hitting the headlines as well as 鈥榮low, quiet, silent鈥� violences 鈥� conflict-related, and other violences, as well as approaches to tackling them such as . We also look into how toxic and harmful materials in our environment, notably greenhouse gas emissions contribute to the unequal death of vulnerable populations living in or travelling though 丑颈驳丑濒测听polluted areas.

Aim

To听comprehensively investigate everyday risks, hazards, and vulnerabilities in societies and environments for providing evidence-based recommendations for policy and practice that will reduce everyday disaster risks, save lives, and improve the health, wellbeing and quality of life of those marginalised and systematically discriminated which will lead to an improved society for everyone.

Objectives

  • Build up a network of research-and-action members,听collaborators and听 partners.

  • Connect expert practitioners and researchers.

  • Publish听high-quality research听outputs听and reports to improve existing policy and practice.

  • Engage in public outreach to educate and be educated by aspiring students, scientists and researchers, policymakers and practitioners.

  • Provide听a platform for cross-UCL grant proposals in everyday disasters, risks, hazards, vulnerabilities, and violences.

Affiliated research group projects


  1. A collaboration between University College London鈥檚 Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction, the Department of Security and Crime Science, and ECPAT UK, and funded by the Modern Slavery Policy and Evidence Centre. The research project investigates the experiences and observations of unaccompanied asylum-seeking and refugee children in Home Office-operated hotels and foster care settings in the Brighton and Hove to better understand what different factors increase the risks of human trafficking and exploitation, and what measures can be taken to prevent trafficking, mitigate risks and improve early intervention.


  2. A global research initiative based at University of Manchester investigating the health, social and financial impacts of mothers and children surviving domestic abuse in the context of the family court in England and Brazil.听


  3. A global awareness raising FiLiA initiative aiming to end the injustice of child abduction allegations raised against mothers fleeing domestic abuse with their children across country borders in the name of The Hague Convention.听 听


  4. A听doctoral investigation听exploring how people are experiencing and working through loss and grief in the context of climate change in Vanuatu. As current global efforts to mitigate climate change fail to protect vulnerable island nations, its impacts will continue to cause grief and suffering through loss of life, health and wellbeing, Indigenous knowledge, place, and culture.听In-depth understanding of this loss, particularly its non-economic aspects, is limited. The study aims to address this gap and build a praxis to work through loss and to support healing and hope.

Completed projects

) 鈥� investigating the ways that migrants鈥� and trapped populations鈥� mental health were impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown in the context of India. Structural marginalisation, state-lead and gender-based violence were key factors compromising people鈥檚 wellbeing.

Members

Lead and Coordinators

EDV-RG Lead

  • (IRDR, UCL)

EDV-RG Coordinator

  • (IRDR and IGH, UCL)
Affiliate members (UCL)
Associate members (non-UCL)
  • (SHERA, Hague Mothers 鈥� Brunel Law School, University of Brunel London)
  • (University of Bristol Law School听)
  • (The Centric Lab)
  • (Loughborough University)
  • (SHERA 鈥� University of Manchester)
  • (Hague Mothers 鈥� FiLiA)
  • Laura Duran (ECPAT UK)
  • (Hague Mothers 鈥� University of Brunel London)
  • (Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland)
  • (CEO Project Lighthouse 鈥撎�University of Brunel London)
  • (Durham University)
  • (PWM 鈥� UNU-EHS)
  • (PWM 鈥� UNU-EHS/University of Gie脽en)
  • (PWM 鈥� UNU-EHS)
  • (SHERA听鈥撎齉ueen Mary University of London)
  • (SHERA 鈥� University of London)
  • (SHERA 鈥撎齍niversity of Chichester)
  • (PWM 鈥� UNU-EHS)
  • (PWM 鈥� UNU-EHS/Oxford Brooks University)
  • (SEES, University of Queensland)
  • (脰rebro University)
  • 听(SEES, University of Queensland)
  • (PWM 鈥� University of Copenhagen)
  • (PWM 鈥� UNU-EHS)
Partnering institute collaborators
  • Brunel University London
  • Centric Lab
  • FiLiA
  • Durham University
  • ECPAT UK
  • Oregon State University
  • Oxford Brooks University
  • Queen Mary University of London
  • STEMA
  • University of Agder
  • University of Auckland
  • University of Copenhagen
  • University of Gie脽en University of Heidelberg
  • University of London
  • University of Manchester
  • University of Queensland
  • United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS)
  • Waipapa Taumata Rau
  • 脰rebro University

More about 鈥楨veryday Disasters鈥� 鈥� Why are they 鈥榙isasters鈥�?

The UK government estimates that over 2 million victim-survivors experience domestic abuse each year in the country leading to the annual social and economic costs of approximately in England and Wales.

One in five homicides relates to domestic abuse where there were in 2020鈥�2021 (75 of them women). Further to this, both domestic abuse and homicides result in additional deaths by suicides. Despite these stark numbers only about 8% of recorded domestic abuse crimes lead to a charge or summons.

Only are reported to the police as victim-survivors often feel 鈥榚mbarrassed鈥� and scared. Many do not believe that the police can help or are afraid that that they will be further 鈥榟umiliated鈥� if turning to the police. It is estimated that less than in England and Wales end in a conviction.

Understanding violence 鈥� it is all about power and control

Structural violence, domestic and interpersonal, is about power and control. It is therefore important to look at the overall relational power context to be able to identify the abuse and evaluate the harm. Domestic abuse is a major form of violence that due to societal power dynamics continues to be highly gendered where about two thirds of the domestic abuse survivors are women while most perpetrators are men. Mothers and children are for this reason more likely to experience violence where domestic abuse particularly often begins or escalates during the pregnancy.

It is estimated that it generally takes seven attempts to leave an abusive partner. Even after escaping violence in a home or country, gaining police protection and/or protective orders through the criminal courts, many mothers and children are forced back into abusive relationships by the pro-contact culture and unsafe child arrangements made in the family courts.

The time period of leaving an abusive situation represents the most dangerous time for the victim-survivor with an increased risk of violence. This is also the time period when most domestic abuse related homicides take place. A common tactic of post-separation abuse, and way to continue coercive and controlling behaviour after the victim-survivor leaves and/or seeks support, is to turn to other tools or extended systems in the society to continue the violence and thereby regain power and control. This often includes manipulation of the family courts, police and/or local authorities to isolate, control and punish the victim-survivor for leaving and resisting the targeted violence. It is crucial that our societal systems are equipped, trained and aware of these strategies to be able to respond appropriately. Currently, serious gaps in these systems and services result in them ending up enabling the abuser and their violence rather than protecting victim-survivors.

Societal power dynamics lead to gendered and marginalised violence

Women鈥檚 Aid notes that within a sample of almost 35,000 female domestic abuse service users in England between 2020鈥�2021, indicated having experienced domestic abuse at the hands of a man. Adding to this, of all domestic abuse crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales that year recorded a female victim-survivor.

in England and Wales experiences rape (including attempted sexual assault) in their lifetime while only of those sexually attacked are men. The , suggests that 139,000 people faced attempted sexual assault or rape, of whom were women.

There are many other marginalised groups in our societies that also face an increased risk of experiencing violence. For example, people with disabilities are more than twice as likely to experience domestic abuse, stalking or rape than people who do not live with a disability. In addition, when considering sexual orientation, people identifying as LGBTQ+ are more likely to experience domestic abuse than heterosexual people.

What are the societal costs and impacts?

The financial impacts of violence are significant due to its high prevalence and prolonged experience. Notably, the costs generated by emotional harm are particularly extensive due to fear, anxiety and depression. This is important, as much of the attention around domestic violence focuses on and frames physical violence as more serious than non-physical abuse, forgetting scars that may not be visible to the eye.

Adding to the 拢74 billion lost to domestic abuse in England and Wales, it is estimated that each homicide costs society almost while the annual cost of rape offence is about . Despite the wide range of these approximate costs, it is clear that most impacts of violence cannot be estimated due to the lack of available research, evidence or data.

Not to be forgotten is the long line of secondary or indirect impacts of violence. For example, a child exposed to domestic abuse can suffer such impacts for the rest of their life and even pass them on intergenerationally. Experiencing domestic abuse as a child often results in devastating consequences that will affect a child鈥檚 development, educational ability and mental health. This is why children are now recognised as victim-survivors (rather than witnesses) of domestic abuse through experiences of violence in the home. It is estimated that at least of children aged 10 to 15 years between lived in households where an adult reported experiencing domestic abuse.

Domestic abuse also leads to homelessness when victim-survivors either flee their homes to seek safety or lose them as a result of economic constraints and losses often due to financial abuse. Violence impacts victim-survivors鈥� educational opportunities, employment and income prospects as it tends to result in school or work absences. Subsequently, longer periods of unemployment or not finalising educational degrees act as poverty traps and can force them into debt.

We urgently need to improve our knowledge about everyday disasters and violences through better data to ensure that the impacts on specific groups is better understood and addressed.

Research group and relevant publications

  • Ayeb-Karlsson, S., Baldwin, A. W., and Kniveton, D. (2022). WIREs Climate Change, 13(6), e803.
  • Ayeb-Karlsson, S. & Barnett, A. (2022). The Children and Families Act 2014.听Committee听Lords Select Committee consultation. House of Lords, London.
  • Ayeb-Karlsson, S., McNamara, K.E. and Chandra, A. (2023). . Climatic Change.听
  • Ayeb-Karlsson, S., and Uy, N. (2022). Island Stories: Mapping the (im)mobility trends of slow onset environmental processes in three island groups of the Philippines. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 9(60), 1鈥�18.
  • Ayeb-Karlsson, S. (2021). 鈥榃hen we were children we had dreams, then we came to Dhaka to survive鈥�: Urban stories connecting loss of wellbeing, displacement and (im)mobility. Climate and Development 13(4), 348鈥�359.
  • Ayeb-Karlsson, S. (2020). 鈥業 do not like her going to the shelter鈥�: Stories on gendered disaster (im)mobility and wellbeing loss in coastal Bangladesh. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction 50(101904), 1鈥�12.
  • Ayeb-Karlsson, S. (2020). When the Disaster Strikes: Gendered (im)mobility in Bangladesh. Climate Risk Management 29(100273), 1鈥�24.
  • Ayeb-Karlsson, S. (2020). No Power without Knowledge: A Discursive Subjectivities Approach to Investigate Climate-Induced (Im)mobility and Wellbeing. Social Sciences 9(6), 103.
  • Ayeb-Karlsson, S., Kniveton, D., Cannon, T., van der Geest, K., Ahmed, I., Derrington, E. M., Florano, E. and Opondo, D.O. (2019). I will not go, I cannot go: Cultural and social constraints to disaster preparedness in Asia, Africa and Oceania. Disasters 43, 752鈥�770.
  • Barnett, A. (2020). Domestic Abuse and Private Law Children Cases: A Literature Review. London, Ministry of Justice. Available online: 听
  • Barnett, A. (2020). A genealogy of hostility: parental alienation in England and Wales, Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law, 42:1, 18鈥�29, DOI:
  • Barnett, A. (2014). Contact at all costs? Domestic violence and children鈥檚 welfare. Child and Family Law Quarterly, 26, 439鈥�462.
  • Birchall, J., and Choudhry, S. (2022). 鈥業 was punished for telling the truth鈥�: how allegations of parental alienation are used to silence, sideline and disempower survivors of domestic abuse in family law proceedings, Journal of Gender-Based Violence, 6(1), 115鈥�131.
  • Birchall, J. and Choudhry, S. (2018). 鈥淲hat about my right not to be abused?鈥� Domestic abuse, human rights and the family courts. London, Queen Mary University of London and Women鈥檚 Aid. Available online:
  • Dalgarno, E. [on behalf of SHERA] (2022). The Children and Families Act 2014. Committee Lords Select Committee consultation. House of Lords, London.
  • Duda, P.I., Kelman, I. and Glick, N. (2020). Informal Disaster Governance. Politics and Governance, 8(4), 375鈥�385.
  • Flores, E. C., Kelman, I., Joye, Y., Bolderdijk, J. W., Ayeb-Karlsson, S., Wutich, A., ... and Hickman, C. (2022). A healthy planet for a healthy mind. One Earth, 5(4), 307鈥�310.
  • Florido Ngu, F., Kelman, I., Chambers, J., and Ayeb-Karlsson, S. (2021). 锘� Correlating heatwaves and relative humidity with suicide (fatal intentional self-harm). Scientific reports, 11(1), 1鈥�9.
  • Harasym, M.C., Raju, E. and Ayeb-Karlsson, S. (2022). 听Global Environmental Change, 77(102594).
  • Hayward, G. and Ayeb-Karlsson, S. (2021). Seeing with empty eyes: A systems approach to understand climate change and mental health in Bangladesh. Climatic Change 165(1), 1鈥�30.
  • Hunter, R., Burton, M. and Trinder, L. (2020) Assessing Risk of Harm to Children and Parents in Private Law Children Cases. London, Ministry of Justice. Available online:
  • Hunter, R. Barnett, A. and Kaganas, F. (2018). Introduction: contact and domestic abuse, Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law, 40:4, 401鈥�425, DOI:
  • Iwuji, C.C., Baisley, K., Maoyi, M.L.听Maoyi, M.L., Orievulu, K., Mazibuko, L., Ayeb-Karlsson, S., ... and Kniveton, D.听(2023).听The Impact of Drought on HIV Care in Rural South Africa: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis.听EcoHealth.听
  • Kelman, I. (2019). Imaginary Numbers of Climate Change Migrants? Social Sciences 8(5), 131.
  • Kelman, I. and Stojanov, R. (2021). Islander migrations and the oceans: From hopes to fears? Island Studies Journal, 16(1), 23鈥�42.
  • Kelman, I. and N忙ss, M.W. (2019). Climate Change and Migration for Scandinavian Saami: A Review of Possible Impacts. Climate, 7(4), 47.
  • Lane, S., Ayeb-Karlsson, S., and Shahvisi, A. (2021). Impacts of the Global Gag Rule on sexual and reproductive health and rights in the Global South: A scoping review.听Global Public Health 16(12): 1804鈥�1819.
  • Mathews, M.A., De Neve, G. and Ayeb-Karlsson, S. (2023). Dimensions of wellbeing and recognitional justice of migrant workers during the COVID-19 lockdown in Kerala, India.听Humanities and Social Sciences Communications.听听
  • McGowran, P., Johns, H., Raju, E., and Ayeb-Karlsson, S. (2023). The making of India's COVID-19 disaster: A disaster risk management (DRM) assemblage analysis. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 103797.
  • McGowran, P., Mathews, M., Johns, H., Harasym, M. C., Raju, E., and Ayeb鈥怟arlsson, S. (2023). . Disasters.听
  • McMichael, C., Schwerdtle, P. N., and Ayeb-Karlsson, S. (2023). . Journal of Migration and Health, 7, 100147.
  • Meril盲inen, E., Kelman, I. Peters, L.E.R. and Shannon, G. (2021). Puppeteering as a metaphor for unpacking power in participatory action research on climate change and health. Climate and Development, 14(5): 419鈥�430.
  • Mika, K. and Kelman, I. (2020). Shealing: Post-disaster slow healing and later recovery. Area, 52(3), 646鈥�653.
  • Orievulu, K., Ayeb-Karlsson, S., Ngema, S., Baisley, K., Tanser, F., Ngwenya, N., ... and Iwuji, C. (2022). Exploring linkages between drought and HIV treatment adherence in Africa: A Systematic Review. Lancet Planetary Health, 6(4), e359鈥揺370.
  • Orievulu, K., Ayeb-Karlsson, S., Ngwenya, N., Ngema, S., McGregor, H., Adeagbo, O., ... & Iwuji, C. (2022). Economic, Social and Demographic impacts of Drought on treatment adherence among people living with HIV in rural South Africa: a qualitative analysis. Climate Risk Management, 100423.
  • Petelos, E., Dalgarno, E. and Zeegers Paget, D. (2021). Sustaining momentum for achieving global gender equality: a call to action. In: European Public Health news, Zeegers Paget, D. (Ed.). European Journal of Public Health 31(5), 1109鈥�1110.
  • Peters, L.E.R. and Kelman, I. (2020). Critiquing and Joining Intersections of Disaster, Conflict, and Peace Research. International Journal of Disaster Risk Science, 11(5), 555鈥�567.
  • Raju, E.听and听Ayeb-Karlsson, S.听(2020).听COVID-19: how do you self-isolate in a refugee camp?听International Journal of Public Health 65:515鈥�517.
  • Raju, E.,听Dutta, A. and听Ayeb-Karlsson, S.听(2021).听COVID-19 in India: Who are we leaving behind? Progress in Disaster Science 10: 100163.
  • Sheehy, E. and Lapierre, S. (2020) Introduction to the special issue [on parental alienation], Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law, 42(1), 1-4, DOI:
  • Trueba, M.L., Axelrod, T. and Ayeb-Karlsson, S. (2023)听Are asylum seekers and refugees provided with appropriate mental health support in the United Kingdom?听Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies
  • Women鈥檚 Aid (2022). Two years, too long: Mapping action on the Harm Panel鈥檚 findings. Bristol, Women鈥檚 Aid. Available online:
  • Women鈥檚 Aid (2016). Nineteen child homicides. What must change so children are put first in child contact arrangements and the family courts. Bristol, Women鈥檚 Aid. Available online:
  • Women鈥檚 Aid (2004). Twenty-nine child homicides: Lessons still to be learnt on domestic violence and child protection. Bristol, Women鈥檚 Aid. Available online:
  • UK GOV (2022). Domestic Abuse Act 2021 Statutory Guidance Consultation: Government response. London, UK GOV. Available online:
  • UK GOV (2022). Domestic Abuse. Statutory Guidance. London, UK GOV. Available online:
  • UK GOV (2022). Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan. London, UK GOV. Available online:
  • UK GOV (2021). Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls. London, UK GOV. Available online:

Other research group outputs

The Hague Abduction Convention process allows violent fathers to continue to abuse and control mothers and children who are fleeing violence across country borders. Changing it is difficult. It will need a whole generation of researchers, lawyers and policy-makers. Dr Sonja Ayeb-Karlsson (UCL) and Kim Fawcett (Durham University) have begun that task in their university modules. Find out what they are doing, why it鈥檚 important, and what the response of their students has been to their innovative and powerful teaching. This could be a teaching model for universities everywhere.

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Poster view of brief
: UCL students Haleemah-Sadiah Afolabi, Elizabeth Kay, Eve Lunn, Tiffany Mihardja, Olivia Rix, and Erin Smith report back on research completed for Dr Sonja Ayeb Karlsson鈥檚 UCL Humanitarian Policy module.

This 听video, released in March 2023, explains the urgent need for the two research projects in England and Brazil听looking into how family law is used to enable and continue structural violence against women and children:听

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