Domestic Abuse Facts
Fact: Domestic abuse is expensive
- The total cost (in England and Wales) of domestic violence has been estimated at £23 billion1 and the cost to Devon over £80 million2.
1Walby, S: 2004; The Cost of Domestic Violence: available at www.womenandequalityunit.gov.uk
2Home Office Ready Reckoner, Domestic Abuse, Sexual Assault, Stalking 2009 - 2009-10 dva services in Devon supported nearly 3000 dva victims at a cost of £1.8 million from the ADVA budget - without these services the estimated cost to the county would be something in the region of £80m. (Based on the Home Office Ready Reckoner).
Fact: Domestic abuse is a killer
- 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, (ed.), 2004, 2005; Home Office, 1999; Department of Health, 2005) - 51% homicides are due to domestic abuse3. Homicide, as well as devastating to those close to the victim, is costly. The cost of a single domestic homicide is estimated by the Home Office at £1.25 million.
- 3Around one-third of all female homicide victims are related to DVA (Home Office 2002).
Fact: Domestic abuse will affect someone you know
- At least 1 in 4 women in the UK will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime. (British Crime Survey 2009/10)
- The level of domestic abuse in the population exceeds that of diabetes by many times. (Department of Health 2010)
- Home Office research suggests there are 30000 victims in Devon4 and last year there were over 1 million female victims of domestic abuse in England and Wales5.
- adva funded specialist dva services supported over 3000 domestic abuse victims across Devon in 2009-106
Fact: Domestic abuse is implicated in child abuse
- Nearly three quarters of children on the 'at risk' register live in households where domestic violence occurs.
- 52% of child protection cases involve domestic violence. (Department of Health, 2002; Farmer and Owen, 1995)
Fact: The coalition government has prioritised the end of violence against women and girls
- The landmark document "Call to End Violence against Women and Girls" states that "the coalition government's ambition is to ensure that tackling domestic violence against women and girls is treated as a priority at every level" and that "funding for services needed by women and girls will continue to be provided locally."7
7http://womensaid.org.uk/domestic-violence-articles.asp
Fact: Prevention is more effective and cheaper in the short/long term
- 1 in 3 young women and 1 in 4 young men think that violence or abuse from their partner is acceptable. (Zero Tolerance Charitable Trust, 1998)
- Ending tried and tested ways of breaking cycles of abusive relationships through domestic violence awareness and prevention sessions in schools and Pattern Changing courses for women will cost more.