Domestic violence, often termed a "dark figure" of crime, poses significant challenges for criminological esearch, especially in secluded localities. This paper focuses on the methodological challenges and innovations in studying hard-to-survey topic in hard-to-reach populations within Czechia. Traditional research methods face significant hurdles in these communities due to accessibility, trust issues, and underreporting, making it difficult to uncover the true extent of domestic violence. Drawing on a cross-sectional survey conducted across 13 regions in Czechia and semi-structured interviews with victims and perpetrators of domestic violence in secluded localities, our study reveals the limitations of conventional approaches in capturing the nuances of domestic violence in these areas. To overcome these obstacles, we propose a mixed-methods framework that combines quantitative data from structured surveys with qualitative insights from interviews, employing innovative sampling techniques tailored for secluded communities.

The creation of body maps as a storytelling device is not, of course, a new idea. Pioneered by Jane Solomon (2008) in her research with women living with HIV and used in health and social research in the Global South (Gastaldo et al, 2018) and has been successfully applied in research with lifers convicted of ‘joint enterprise’ murder (Hulley and Young 2022). Few studies, with the exception of Dennis (2020) and Macken et al (2021), have utilized body-maps to explore the experience of substance users. In this presentation we draw up research conducted by Dr Tara Young and Professor Caroline Chatwin to demonstrate how body-mapping has been adapted and applied as qualitative technique as part of an evaluation of a small-scale intervention aimed at ensuring drugfree living for men leaving prison. In it we show how body-maps are a powerful medium through which otherwise marginalised men are able to curate their own release and rehabilitation stories.

Hitherto most research on violence has been concerned with causal factors, leaving out the actual violence. Recent research, inspired by Randall Collins, has shifted focus toward the interaction and behaviour observable in violent incidents via a novel research trend; Visual Data Analysis. This method allows for studying the micro-details of violence by means of video-footage as empirical material. By employing CCTV and mobile device-footage of violent incidents, the study examines the strengths and limitations of this type of data as well as Collins’ theory of violence in the prison setting. The sample is derived from YouTube and based on a series of criteria such as quality, setting, type of violent interaction, intervening prison officers and audience dynamics. By analysing bodily expressions of emotion and situational dynamics, the thesis explores the extent to which this empirical material is useful while also determining the applicability of Collins’ theory on violence in the prison setting. The elements claimed to be present in violent incidents by Collins are observable within the sample, however, some more than others. Testing this type of data and Collins’ theory suggests that lack of context is an issue when the aim is to understand the entirety of the violence in the context of prison.

Boredom has a level of significance that cannot be underestimated within young-people’s lives. Thrill-seeking, gang fights, low levels of anti-social behaviour, mental health issues, drug and alcohol use are all linked with boredom and young people. Sharing findings from a larger RSE funded study across Scotland that explored the concept of boredom in young-people’s lives. It was found young people viewed boredom as a loss of meaningful connection from others, closely linking it to mental health and social media. These issues were compounded for those in young offender institutions (YOI) and secure care.

By employing arts-based research methods in the forms of collages with young-people to depict their concept of boredom, the research aimed to disseminate different ways of knowing and understanding of the problem. What is presented here are the visual collages that depict boredom alongside developed I-poems (Brown and Gilligan, 1992) highlighting the impact that boredom has on young-people within YOI and secure care. The I-poems depict young-people devoid of the ability to move forward time or control space highlighting the impact of institutionalised boredom and the extreme visceral time-ruptures they engaged in. Boredom and temporality are areas requiring further research as social-time regimes are unavoidably linked with forms of oppression, marginality, and inequality (Portschy, 2020) and it is generally agreed that when a body is bored, time is stretched or slowed down (Anderson, 2004).