Spoken interactions between responding officers and suspected victims at the scene of domestic abuse incidents

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The private and complex relationship dynamics which underpin domestic abuse present unique communicative challenges for the police in their response to reported crimes. I am particularly interested in interactions between responding officers and suspected victims at the scene of domestic abuse incidents. These conversations can be highly consequential, with the potential to determine how the incident continues to unfold, both in the immediate context of the call-out and in the wider context of the legal process. Yet communication can be complicated by officers' institutional requirements and restrictions, along with the sensitivities around interacting with vulnerable witnesses. My research is motivated by the belief that a more nuanced understanding of these pivotal interactions could inform the improvement of services provided by the police and other agencies to those affected by domestic abuse.