Fleeing from fear: the changing role of refuges in meeting the needs of women leaving violent partners

Media driven interpretations of fear and risk have failed to notify the general public that the most likely victims of violence are females who are attacked by a male partner. Domestic violence is pervasive throughout virtually all cultures, occurring across all social classes, all ethnic groups, and all age groups. Yet the true extent of domestic violence is generally agreed to be unknown. Domestic violence is a private fear and as is shown within this paper the search for sanctuary spaces that are offered by refuges is an important component in the acquisition of safe places. However, this paper examines how the 'professionalisation' of some refuges as well as other processes of institutionalisation may have had a negative impact upon the victims of abuse and violence. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]