Domestic violence and abuse is a serious problem.  It has a devastating impact on victims and their families. 

Research has shown that domestic violence causes lasting damage to victim’s physical and mental health, affecting their ability to work, to support themselves, to maintain their self-confidence and to move on and build a new life. 

Domestic violence also impacts on a child’s emotional, psychological, physical and sexual development.  Common adjustment difficulties include: increased levels of anxiety, psychosomatic illness, sadness, withdrawal, fear, poor social skills and disobedience.  (Jaffe et al 1990).  Domestic violence can also impact on a child’s school attainment and increase risk of social exclusion 

Who is affected by domestic violence?

Domestic violence affects people right across our society - from all walks of life, from all cultural, social and ethnic backgrounds and across all age groups.  The vast majority of victims are women, but a significant number of men are also affected and abuse also occurs in same-sex relationships. 

• Domestic violence occurs across society regardless of age, gender, race, religion, sexuality, wealth or geography.
• About 90% of reported cases are perpetrated by men against women.  It is estimated that 1 in 4 women will suffer domestic violence over their lifetimes (Hagmann & White 2001) and between 6-10% of women suffer domestic violence in a given year (Council of Europe, 2002).
• It is now widely acknowledged that domestic violence is difficult to deal with as much of the violence takes place behind closed doors and therefore crimes are under-recorded.