野狼社区 expert recognised for pioneering domestic abuse research
Professor David Gadd of The University of 野狼社区鈥檚 School of Social Sciences is among the finalists for the prestigious Celebrating Impact Prize of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).
The prize is awarded annually to recognise and reward ESRC-supported researchers who have created or enabled outstanding impact in the world around us.
Professor Gadd鈥檚 research project 鈥樷�� set out to explore why some boys become domestic abuse perpetrators when others do not - the project aimed to understand what more can be done to prevent boys and young men from becoming perpetrators.
The research led to a number of significant interventions at a local and national level. Recent activity such as the Home Office鈥檚 鈥楾his is Abuse鈥� social marketing campaign, Police Scotland鈥檚 鈥楧on鈥檛 be that Guy鈥� campaign, and Greater 野狼社区鈥檚 鈥業s this Okay?鈥� campaign were all influenced by findings about the importance of social marketing campaigns in creating behaviour change among men.
The research findings also contributed to GMCA鈥檚 10-year strategy to tackle gender-based violence, and the toolkit generated by the project has influenced school-based preventative strategies as well as being rolled out in Malta, France and Spain.
It鈥檚 an absolute honour to be an ESRC Celebrating Impact Prize Finalist, though the real credit should go to all the young people who shared their stories with us as researchers, and the many people working in domestic abuse sector who have championed the research findings and explained to policymakers why they need taking seriously.
鈥淧erhaps the most important thing our research established is that it is pointless simply telling young men that domestic abuse is 鈥榳rong鈥� 鈥� most already know that. Rather, public education campaigns must engage with young men on their own terms around issues of trust, vulnerability and control over the long term if they are to secure sustained reductions in the rates of men鈥檚 violence against women and girls.," added Professor Gadd.
鈥淒avid鈥檚 work has been ground-breaking,鈥� said Suzanne Jacob, CEO of SafeLives, a UK-wide domestic abuse charity. 鈥淚t gives a sense of how we can bring boys and men into the work to end the abuse of girls and women, and help overcome some of the challenges we all face in achieving truly transformational change.鈥�
鈥淕overnment as well as other agencies and organisations all strive to provide young people who use violence with opportunities for change - Professor David Gadd鈥檚 work illuminates how to make this a reality and reduce domestic abuse in society,鈥� said Nicole Jacobs, Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales.
The winners of the prize will be announced at an awards ceremony on 2nd November 2022.
For more information on Professor Gadd鈥檚 work and the 鈥楩rom Boys to Men鈥� project, visit
A project whose research was explicitly referenced in the government鈥檚 Levelling Up White Paper earlier this year has also been shortlisted for one of the awards - for more information, visit
For more information about the ESRC Celebrating Impact Prize and how to livestream the awards ceremony, visit