Home About Fair Play Workbooks

Nearly 2 million people a year in England and Wales experience domestic abuse, and many endure long-term harm from their experiences.

Each year around 2.1m people suffer some form of domestic abuse - 1.4 million women (8.5% of the population) and 700,000 men (4.5% of the population)

An estimated 4.6m women (28% of the adult population) have experienced domestic abuse at some point since the age of 16

A quarter of 13-18 year old girls report experiencing physical abuse in their own intimate partner relationships, and one-third sexual abuse

The Government Definition

Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over, who are or have been intimate partners

or family members regardless of gender or sexuality. This can encompass but is not limited to the following types of abuse:

 PSYCHOLOGICAL PHYSICAL SEXUAL FINANCIAL EMOTIONAL If we can get all children to learn about domestic abuse and healthy relationships and achieve the above commented outcomes, we could reduce the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences and save lives.

THERE ARE FIVE RECOGNISED FORMS OF ABUSE

PHYSICAL ABUSE

This means intentionally using physical force to harm, injure, disable or kill. It can involve using a weapon or restrains or merely using body, size or strength to harm another person.

PSYCHOLOGICAL
AND EMOTIONAL ABUSE

Using acts, threats of acts or coercive tactics to cause someone emotional trauma. If there has been previous physical or sexual abuse in the relationship, any further threat of abuse is considered psychological or emotion violence.

FINANCIAL ABUSE

Purposely denying someone access to financial resources that puts an individual at risk/harm.

SEXUAL ABUSE

Sexual abuse not only includes forcing someone to have sex, but it can also include having sex with someone who is unable to refuse due to disability, illness, intimidation or the influence of alcohol or other drugs.

 The Government also recognises that domestic violence and abuse can also include so called 'honour’ based violence, female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage and is clear that victims are not confined to one gender or ethnic group.

Domestic violence and abuse is repetitive and life threatening. It does not have to be inherently ‘violent’, but perpetrators may use a whole range of abusive behaviours. Domestic violence and abuse is very common with at least one in four women (Focus on Violent Crime and Sexual Offences, 2014/15) and one in six men experiencing domestic violence and abuse in their lifetime. It is also under reported (Home Office 2002).

Despite this, the police receive a domestic violence-related call every 30 seconds; yet it is estimated that less than 24% of domestic violence crime is reported to the police (HMIC (2014) Everyone’s business: Improving the police response to domestic abuse). 90% of all reported cases of abuse are where women are the victims. A total of 75% of those cases resulted in physical injury or mental health consequences for the women involved.

THE IMPORTANCE OF HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP
EDUCATION IN SCHOOL

We recognise that the Government has undertaken some early intervention work around domestic violence. For instance, the ‘Enough’ poster, press and radio campaign was launched. Yet primary prevention work to stop domestic violence from happening in the first place is described as being: ‘the weakest part of the UK responses to violence against women’ (Coy et al. 2008).

Evidence suggests that the deeply rooted attitudes that tolerate domestic violence continue to be held and it is generally agreed that schools are the ideal place to challenge these attitudes. In fact the very first Home Affairs Select Committee inquiry into Violence in Marriage in 1975 recommended that:

 Much more serious attention should be given within our school and further education system to the problems of domestic conflict

School-based work to promote respectful or healthy relationships has rapidly developed in the UK over the last ten years; usually situated within the Personal, Health and Social Education (PHSE) curriculum. A number of government reviews of such school-based work (2008; 2009; 2011; 2014) as well as Ofsted reports show that although there are good examples of teaching ‘healthy’ relationships; overall the approach taken is of inconsistent quality and requires improvement.

Surveys of young people also indicate that they are not getting good quality education about healthy relationships and sex. For example, in 2007; 21,000 young people took part in a survey organised by the UK Youth Parliament and 40 per cent of those young people said that their ‘healthy relationships’ education was ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’ (UKYP, 2007). A similar survey in 2013 showed that 27 per cent of young people thought ‘healthy relationships’ education was bad or ‘very bad’. Worryingly, 30 per cent said they did not learn about sexual consent through this education (NCB, 2013).

However, to show their commitment to ending domestic abuse, the Government are making Relationships Education compulsory in all primary schools in England, and Relationships and Sex Education compulsory in all secondary schools from September 2020, as well as making Health Education compulsory in all state-funded schools (Transforming the response to domestic abuse consultation response and draft bill).

In primary schools, they want to equip children with the foundations for healthy, respectful relationships. In secondary schools, they propose teaching young people about healthy intimate relationships, and the concepts and laws relating to consent, sexual exploitation, grooming, harassment and domestic abuse. Through this teaching, children will understand domestic abuse, including coercive control, so they can recognise the signs of abuse and stay safe (Transforming the response to domestic abuse consultation response and draft bill).

Each year around 2.1m people suffer some form of domestic abuse - 1.4 million women (8.5% of the population) and 700,000 men (4.5% of the population)

An estimated 4.6m women (28% of the adult population) have experienced domestic abuse at some point since the age of 16

A quarter of 13-18 year old girls report experiencing physical abuse in their own intimate partner relationships, and one-third sexual abuse

In 2013-14 the police recorded 887,000 domestic abuse incidents in England and Wales
Gender Equality Matters
©2019 - 2021 Gender Equality Matters // Website by HiRez Design, Print & Web