What is domestic abuse?
Domestic abuse is physical, sexual, psychological, financial, or control and isolation that takes place within an intimate or family type relationship and that forms a pattern of coercive and controlling behaviour. This can include forced marriage and so called “honour crimes”. Domestic violence may include a wide range of abusive behaviours, not all of which are in themselves inherently “violent” (Women’s Aid Federation of England).
Research shows that domestic violence is most commonly experienced by women and perpetrated by men. Any woman can experience domestic violence regardless of race, ethnicity or religious group, class, disability or lifestyle.
Domestic Violence can also take place in lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender relationships and can involve other family members including children.
Key Statistics
Every minute in the UK, the police receive a call from the public for assistance for domestic violence. This leads to police receiving an estimated 1,300 calls each day or over 570,000 each year. (Stanko 2000)
The British Crime Survey 2006 found that there were an estimated 12.9 million incidents of Domestic Violence acts against women in England and Wales in the year preceding interview.
At least 750,000 children witness domestic violence every year.
1 in 4 women experience Domestic Violence over their lifetimes. (analysis of 10 studies)
According to the British Crime Survey, only 40.2% of actual domestic violence crime is reported to the police. (Dodd et al, July 2004)
The estimated total cost of domestic violence to society in monetary terms is £23 billion per annum