Domestic violence is the abuse of one partner within an intimate or family relationship. It is the repeated, random and habitual use of intimidation to control a partner. The abuse can be physical, emotional, psychological, financial or sexual. Domestic violence and abuse affects a large number of people, with an estimated 8.2% of women and 4.0% of men aged 16 to 59 had been a victim of domestic abuse past year according to the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) for 2015-16, with 27.1% of women and 13.2% of men have been victims at some point since the age of 16. If that prevalence rate is applied to all of those aged 16 and over in Devon that would equate to 27,500 women and 12,500 men experiencing domestic violence in the past 12 months, and 91,000 women and 41,100 men experiencing domestic violence since the age of 16.
The costs of domestic violence and sexual abuse are extensive. In Devon, Home Office research estimates that domestic violence costs the statutory agencies over £70 million (Walby S. The cost of domestic violence, 2009): http://www.lancs.ac.uk/fass/doc_library/sociology/Cost_of_domestic_violence_update.doc.
Exposure to domestic violence represents a serious risk to both adults and children. The Children and Adoption Act 2002 broadened the definition of significant harm to include ‘any impairment of the child’s health or development as a result of witnessing the ill-treatment of another person such as domestic violence’. As well as the impact on adults, national research by the NSPCC
(http://www.nspcc.org.uk/inform/research/findings/child_abuse_neglect_research_PDF_wdf84181.pdf) has found nearly a quarter young people witnessed at least one type of domestic violence during childhood. The research found
- 12.0% of under 11s, 17.5% of 11–17s and 23.7% of 18–24s had been exposed to domestic violence between adults in their homes during childhood.
- 3.2% of the under 11s and 2.5% of the 11–17s reported exposure to domestic violence in the past year.
According to the national Confidential Inquiry into Maternal and Child Health in 2007, nearly three quarters of children with a child protection plan live in households where domestic abuse occurs.
The Police record data on the number of children and young people who were present at reported domestic abuse incidents. Children were at around 40% of domestic abuse incidents although there is variation over time and across the districts. The majority of incidents will not be recorded here as they have not been reported to the police.
The impact of domestic violence and abuse on an individual child will vary according to the child’s resilience and the strengths and weaknesses of their particular circumstances. On both a national and local level (four out of the last seven serious case reviews in Devon found domestic violence as a contributory factor) there is evidence serious injury or death can occur as a consequence of domestic violence. Children and young people will be distressed by living with domestic violence and may show a range of mental and physical symptoms. In younger children they may show developmental regression including bed wetting or temper tantrums. They may also become anxious and complain of stomach-aches. Older children react differently with boys much more outwardly distressed such as being more aggressive and disobedient, increasing likelihood of risk taking behaviours in adolescence including school truancy and start to use alcohol or drugs. Girls are more likely to internalise issues by withdrawing from social contact and become anxious or depressed. They are more likely to have an eating disorder, or to self-harm. Children of all ages with these problems often do badly at school. They may also get symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, for example have nightmares and flashbacks, and be easily startled. In the longer term children who have witnessed violence are more likely to be either abusers or victims themselves echoing the behaviour which was normalised within their household. The repetition of violence is not a forgone conclusion but even for those who break the cycle, children from violent families often grow up feeling anxious and depressed, and find it difficult to get on with other people.
Domestic Violence incidents recorded by police are reported by Police Force through the Public Health Outcomes Framework. However, Devon breakdowns are possible through local sources and have been added. Devon has a rate of 12.98 per 1,000, below the South West (17.63), comparator group (17.23) and England (20.42) rates. Within Devon rates are highest in Exeter (16.73). Local trend information, including provisional figures for 2015-16 highlight recent decreases. Younger adults (aged 18 to 29) are more likely to report domestic violence. Incident rates also tend to be higher in more deprived areas.
Figure 8.27 shows the rate of domestic violence incidents recorded by the police by Devon district, highlighting higher rates in Exeter (16.73 per 1,000) and North Devon (14.99 per 1,000) and lower rates in the South Hams (8.88 per 1,000).
Figure 8.27, Domestic Violence Incidents recorded by the police, crude rate per 1,000 population by Devon Local Authority District, 2014-15
Source: Devon Strategic Assessment and Public Health Outcomes Framework, 2016
A strategy entitled ‘Ending Domestic and Sexual Violence and Abuse’ will be published later in 2016 setting out Devon’s vision for the next five years, drawing on the experiences of victims of domestic and sexual violence and abuse.