Seeking to Have a Voice in Driving Change: Domestic Abuse Survivors’ Reflections on Acting as ‘Experts by Experience’

Collaborating with service users with lived experience of systems and processes, including the Criminal Justice System, can help tailor services, which in turn might increase accessibility, engagement, and satisfaction. Despite domestic abuse survivors often expressing a desire to be involved in developing and improving services, opportunities to do so have traditionally been limited, and their experiences of providing a ‘victim voice’ have not been extensively explored. The present paper outlines findings from interviews conducted with five survivors who took part in a range of collaborative engagement activities with criminal justice practitioners and other service providers (e.g., housing and social services) as ‘experts by experience’. During the interviews they reflected on their experiences and considered opportunities for increased involvement of survivors in developing services and support provisions moving forward. Key themes from thematic analysis of the interview data included the importance of survivors’ voices being heard, with their experience acknowledged and their contributions valued, as well as the need for effective facilitation and management of collaborative opportunities. More broadly, notable personal benefits were described by all participants, including feeling empowered by being given the opportunity to have a voice in driving change.