caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse

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Facts and statistics

Statistics about domestic abuse

• On average 2 women a week are killed by a male partner or former partner: this constitutes around one-third of all female homicide victims (Povey, 2004, 2005; Home Office, 1999; Department of Health, 2005).

• Around 28 per cent of women in England and Wales have experienced domestic abuse since the age of 16. This is equivalent to approximately four and half million female victims of domestic abuse (Walker, Flatley, Kershaw & Moon, 2009).

• An analysis of 10 separate domestic violence prevalence studies by the Council of Europe showed consistent findings: 1 in 4 European women experience domestic violence over their lifetimes and between 6-10% of women suffer domestic violence in a given year (Council of Europe, 2002).

• At least 750,000 children a year witness domestic violence, and nearly three quarters of children on the 'at risk' register live in households
where domestic violence occurs (cited by Department of Health, 2002).

• The total direct cost of domestic violence to services (criminal justice system, health, social services, housing, civil legal) amounts to £3.1 billion, while the loss to the economy is £2.7 billion. This amounts to over £5.7 billion a year (Walby, 2004).

• Repeat victimisation accounts for 66% of all incidents of domestic violence and 21% of victims have been victimised three times or more (Walker et al, 2009).

• Domestic violence accounts for 1 in 7 (14%) of all violent incidents in England and Wales (Walker, Flatley, Kershaw & Moon, 2009).

• In over three-quarters (77%) of incidents of domestic violence the victims were women (Walker, Flatley, Kershaw & Moon, 2009).

NB., Domestic abuse is defined by the British Crime Survey as non-sexual emotional or financial abuse, threats, physical force, sexual assault or stalking carried out by a current or former partner or other family member to a victim between the ages of 16 and 59 years old. For statistics relating to both the self completion module and the face-to-face interviews, it cannot be guaranteed that every survey respondent completed the questions due to the sensitive nature of the questions.

IDVA and MARAC services statistics

• From October 2008 to end of September 2009, CAADA collected data from 217 MARACS. The annual number of high risk victim cases reviewed at MARAC during this time period was 33,839, and the total number of children involved in these cases was 46,616. The average of recorded repeat cases across all MARACs during this time was 23%. The percentage of non-Police referrals to these MARACs was 31%, and the percentage of Black and Minority Ethnic cases reviewed were 10% (CAADA, 2009).

References

Co-ordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse (2009). Impact report and September enews. Bristol.

Council of Europe (2002). Recommendation Rec (2002) 5 of the Committee of Ministers to member States on the protection of women against violence adopted on 30 April 2002 and Explanatory Memorandum. Council of Europe: Strasbourg, France.

Department of Health (2002). Women's Mental Health: Into the Mainstream - Strategic Development of Mental Health Care for Women. Department of Health: London.

Department of Health (2005). Responding to domestic abuse: A handbook for health professionals. Department of Health: London.

Dispatches (2009). The Channel 4 Dispatches Child Homicide Study. Channel 4: London. Visit http://www.channel4.com/media/dispatches_downloads/Dispatches_Child_Homicide_Research.pdf

Home Office (1999). Criminal statistics, England and Wales. Home Office: London.

Povey, D. (Ed) (2004). Crime in England and Wales 2002/3: Supplementary Volume 1 - Homicide and gun crime. Home Office Statistical Bulletin. Home Office: London.

Povey, D. (Ed) (2005). Crime in England and Wales 2003/2004: Supplementary Volume 1: Homicide and Gun Crime. Home Office Statistical Bulletin, No. 02/05. Home Office: London.

Robinson, A. (2004). Domestic Violence MARACs (Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences) for Very High-Risk Victims in Cardiff, Wales: A Process and Outcome Evaluation. Cardiff University: Cardiff.

Walby, S. (2004). The Cost of Domestic Violence. Women & Equality Unit: London.

Walker, A., Flatley, J., Kershaw, C., and Moon, D. (2009). Crime in England and Wales 2008/09: Findings from the British Crime Survey and police recorded crime (Volume 1). Home Office Statistical Bulletin, No. 11/09. Home Office: London.