Defining Vulnerability: From the Conceptual to the Operational

Abstract

Whilst police agencies are increasingly being asked to assist vulnerable individuals, the concept of vulnerability, and how it how it should be policed, remains ambiguous. This study compares current academic thinking with the views and experiences of serving police employees. It presents a conceptual map to depict intersecting individual, social and environmental factors, to assist practitioners understand the concept of vulnerability, that also supports data sharing and partnership working. Further, it highlights the central importance of the police in a multi-agency triage process, signposting vulnerable individuals to the most appropriate service.