Kick-off for new EU project: United against violence in pregnancy and parenthood
On 25–26 June, the EU project I-COPE was officially launched with an international kick-off meeting. The aim of the project is to improve the identification of intimate partner violence among pregnant women and their partners, enabling early intervention for both victims and perpetrators. The project also seeks to enhance the detection of digital violence and stalking.
Previous research shows that around four percent of Danish women and two percent of Danish men report experiencing physical, psychological, sexual and/or financial violence from a current or former partner each year.
This is why the Region of Southern Denmark introduced systematic screening for violence during pregnancy – a practice that is now standard in the region and is being shared internationally, with Danish experience serving as a model.
–With the EU project I-COPE, we are building on the experiences from the STOP project, which was carried out in the Region of Southern Denmark, explains Ditte Søndergaard Linde, associate professor at the Department of Clinical Research and OUH. She specialises in women’s health.
I-COPE is a so-called twinning project, where new EU partners learn from established practice in Denmark. The project includes partners in Northern Italy, including healthcare actors in Verona and Brescia, who will now begin implementing screening for violence during pregnancy – for the first time.
The aim of the project is to share knowledge, methods and training materials with healthcare professionals in Italy, enabling them to begin identifying and addressing violence in close relationships during early parenthood.
Expanded screening focus: Stalking and partner involvement
A key new element in I-COPE is the expansion of the screening effort. Going forward, the project will also work to ensure that healthcare professionals ask about digital violence and stalking – forms of violence that have not previously been identified in clinical practice.
In addition, the project aims to include the pregnant person’s partner in the screening process, asking about both possible exposure to violence and the risk of perpetrating violence. This is intended to provide a more holistic picture and support more effective preventive action.
A shared European responsibility
The kick-off meeting brought together both Danish and Italian partners for academic presentations, workshops and planning of the next phases. It marks the beginning of a joint European effort to break the silence around violence – also in encounters with the healthcare system.
–We know that healthcare professionals can make a difference – but they need the right tools. With I-COPE, we are building a bridge between research and practice across national borders, says Ditte Søndergaard Linde.
About the project
The project is anchored at the University of Southern Denmark and Odense University Hospital.
In Denmark, the project is carried out in collaboration with Dialog mod Vold and the Danish Stalking Centre.
STOP was funded by the EU through a grant from its CERV-Daphne programme. I-COPE is funded by the same programme with an EU grant of DKK 7 million.
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Meet the researcher
Ditte Søndergaard Linde is an associate professor specialising in women's health. She is affiliated with the Centre for Global Health and the Research Unit for Gynaecology and Obstetrics at the Department of Clinical Research and Odense University Hospital.