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The True FACTS about Domestic Violence "Domestic Violence is violence occurring between two people living in the same household. The violence is about power and control.
It includes all aspects of physical, sexual and psychological abuse arising from threatening behaviour - from minor assaults to serious injury and even death. It must be stressed that it is mainly women and children who are victimised by the violence and men who are the perpetrators.
It is recognised as a gender violence and a serious criminal act. (Living in the same household can be defined as people who are currently or who have been involved in a relationship.)"
Middlesbrough Domestic Violence Forum 2008
Domestic Violence – key statistics
- Domestic Violence will affect 1 in 4 women and 1 in six men in their lifetime, with women at greater risk of repeat victimisation and serious injury. (Home Office)
- Domestic Violence accounts for 17% of all violent crime in England and Wales (Crime in England and Wales 04/05 report)
- Nationally Domestic Violence accounts for a 5th of all crime
- More than half of all victims of domestic violence are involved in more than 1 incident. No other crime has a rate of repeat victimisation so high (British Crime Survey England and Wales)
- Two women each week are killed by a partner or former partner, a total of over 100 deaths each year. (Home office 2002)
- 1 in 3 Domestic Violence incidents begin in pregnancy
- Domestic Violence is the largest cause of morbidity worldwide in women aged 19-44, greater than war, cancer or motor vehicle accidents (Home Office)
- Women can go to 5 – 12 agencies before they get the help they need.
- Children can also be killed due to domestic violence.
- At least 750,000 children a year witness domestic violence. Nearly three quarters of children on the "at risk" register live in households where domestic violence occurs. Dept of Health (2003)
- About 22,000 children stay in refuges every year and over 110,000 children use outreach and aftercare services. Women’s Aid (2006)
- CAFCASS officers state that domestic violence features in about 66% of their cases. Hansard, Baroness Howarth (2005)
- Economic Output: Lost economic output accounts for around 2.7billion a year. This is the cost of time off work due to injuries. It is estimated that around half of the costs of such sickness absences is borne by the employer and half by the individual in lost wages.
- Including all costs, the total cost of domestic violence for the state, employers and victims is estimated at around £23 billion. Sylvia Walby (University of Leeds) September 2004
- Police in the UK receive a call from the public for assistance for domestic violence on average every minute.
- 1 in 7 young men and young women think that abuse or violence against females is acceptable in certain circumstances. (Zero Tolerance Charitable Trust 2006)
- Men who are violent towards their female partners are also likely to be violent to their children and to pets and other animals. The overlap between men’s violence towards women and the physical abuse of children is estimated as in the range of 30-66% (Edleson 1999) (Women’s Aid, 2002)
- Suicide in the Asian community is 3 times higher than their white counterparts
- Currently some 300 cases of forced marriages are reported to the Forced Marriage Unit each year, the majority involve South Asian families.
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