Although social policies are developed with the public good in mind, the political nature of the policy development process means that policies are often developed and assessed according to a narrow risk/benefit framework that does not take into account the complexity of women’s lives or their environment. As a result policies often “bump up” against each other to create conflicting policy responses that negatively impact women who experience violence and perpetuate unsafe situations for women. In addition to policy development that is undertaken in ‘silos’, the lack of consistent policy implementation and the lack of coordination at the service delivery level means that women’s journeys to safety vary considerably. The quality of services received can often depend on the individual service provider. For example, the application of mandatory charging by police is an area where discretion is too widely used and one where there needs to be a more standard application of protocols so as to avoid practices that vary between individuals.
Presented HERE are some examples of policy intersections relative to the dimensions of safety.