Information for students

Facts & figures about domestic violence

Domestic violence is overwhelmingly a crime against women,
and it affects women from every class, ethnic origin and religion.

• 1 in 4 European women experience domestic violence over their lifetimes and between 6 - 10% of women suffer during a given year.(Council of Europe, 2002)
• No other type of crime has such a high rate of repeat victimisation. 57% of victims of domestic violence are involved in more than one incident. (Home Office, 2002)
• The link between child physical abuse and domestic violence is high, estimates ranging from 30% to 66%.(Humphreys & Thiara, 2002)
• The estimated cost to society of domestic violence is £23 billion per annum. This includes an estimated £3.1 billion as cost to the state, £1.3 billion as cost to employers and human suffering cost of £17 billion. These figures are recognised as an under-estimate. (Walby & Allen, 2004)
• In any one year, there are 13 million separate incidents of physical violence or threats of violence against women from partners or former partners.(Walby & Allen, 2004)
• 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] 2005)
• During 2006-7, the Freephone 24-Hour National Domestic Violence Helpline answered an average of 387 calls per day: 500 a day on weekdays, 250 on Saturdays and 200 on Sundays.(Women's Aid)

Why women don't leave.

• More than half (52%) suffered embarrassment and shame (YouGov 2004)
• Women are at greatest risk of homicide at the point of separation or after leaving a partner (Lees, 2000)
• 60% of women left the abuser because they feared being killed. A further 54% left because of the affect of the
  abuse on their children. (Humphreys & Thiara, 2002)
• An analytical research tool, the Power and Control Wheel, was developed in Duluth in the United States to depict the power and control tactics violent men adopt with their women partners. It is also used for other purposes, including tracing the way many abused women face escalating violence from violent partners. For more information about this tool, visit The Wheel Gallery at www.theduluthmodel.org.

Other sources of information you might find useful to consult:

• Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit (CWASU) at London Metropolitan University at:www.cwasu.org
• Women's Aid Federation, England (WAFE) at: www.womensaid.org.uk
• Violence Against Women Initiative at: http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk/
  domesticviolence/domesticviolence19.htm
• Home Office RSD publications at: www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds
• Crown Prosecution Service at: www.cps.gov.uk/publictions

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