Professional Representations of Collaboration in the Response to Intimate Partner Violence

PURPOSE: Due to the complexity of intimate partner violence (IPV) and the many actors involved in its social and legal responses, there is a broad consensus that collaboration is essential if IPV is to be overcome. Few studies, however, have provided details as to how these collaborations occur. Rather, research on collaboration in IPV has typically focused on a series of factors facilitating and hindering it. However, these factors are rarely articulated in a systemic, comprehensive, and integrated way. METHOD: To gain a better understanding of the socio-judicial response to IPV, we conducted a case study in an administrative region in the Province of Quebec, Canada. We conducted individual interviews with 37 key informants who work with people experiencing IPV. The data were subjected to deductive thematic coding as well as to intra- and inter-role matrices that cross-referenced the themes. RESULT: According to our findings, interagency referrals and information sharing were the most common collaborative practices reported by participants which leading us to characterize the region studied in this article as poorly integrated. Factors facilitating and hindering collaboration are discussed in relation to previous studies. CONCLUSION: Recommendations for cross-sectoral training, organizational policy development, and opportunities to leverage the expertise of specialized actors in IPV response systems are made.