Dr Elaine McLaughlin

I completed my Ph.D. entitled, South Asian Women & Domestic Abuse in Scotland: An uncertain legal status and no recourse to public funds in 2017.

The research examined the impact of the UK spouse visa rules on South Asian women living in Scotland experiencing domestic abuse. My research interests concern gender-based violence and migrant women, domestic abuse and minority ethnic women living in Scotland, including the interaction of the police and minority ethnic women experiencing domestic abuse.

Elaine currently works for the Hemat Gryffe Women’s Aid based in Glasgow.

Recent Publications: 

McLaughlin E, Wheate R and McGowan M, ‘A confident approach in responding to the needs of domestically abused South Asian Women – laying the foundation for Police Scotland 2026 Strategy‘. This paper was possible with funding from the Scottish Institute for Policing Research (SIPR) with support from the University of Strathclyde, December 2018.

McLaughlin E, (2015) ‘A police response to immigrant women living in Scotland experiencing domestic abuse’ [accessed Oct 2017]

McLaughlin E, (2013) ‘Money can’t buy me love: the UK Spousal Visa System and its effect on women from the minority ethnic community experiencing domestic abuse’ [Pre-Print] Socio-Legal Studies Association Newsletter Page 8

McLaughlin E, (2011) ‘New legislation aimed at providing protection against forced marriage goes live’ The Scotsman Newspaper, November 2011

Most Recent Project: 

2018 – Working with Police Scotland who are in the preparatory stages of developing a video for migrant women arriving at ports in relation to honour based violence.