Book Description

Domestic violence is the largest cause of morbidity worldwide in women aged 19-44, greater than war, cancer or motor vehicle accidents. According to the British Crime Survey, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men in the UK will experience domestic violence at some point in their lives. The vast majority of serious and recurring violence is perpetuated by men towards women. Domestic violence accounts for 16 per cent of all violent incidents reported to or recorded by the police. Around 2 women a week are killed by their partner or former partner. Domestic violence is estimated to have cost the UK £25.3 billion in 2005-06. Home Office figures suggest there are around 12 "honour" killings each year, but the total is likely to be far higher. The Government's Forced Marriage Unit deals with 5,000 enquiries and 300 cases of forced marriage each year. 30 per cent of these concern under-18s, and 15 per cent are men. The Committee concludes the Government approach to all forms of domestic violence is disproportionately focused on criminal justice responses at the expense of effective prevention and early intervention. There are also serious concerns about the amount of refuge space for those fleeing violence, and the provision of domestic violence services is a "postcode lottery". Availability of Probation Service perpetrator programmes is so poor some courts cannot use them as sentencing options. The Department for Children, Schools and Families should introduce an explicit statutory requirement for schools to educate children about domestic and "honour"-based violence and forced marriage. Front-line professionals - teacher, health professionals, visa entry clearance officers, police, judges and magistrates - who come into contact with victims should receive accredited training to enable them to identify abuse and refer the victim to appropriate support.