Statistics and facts are an important way of understanding more about the prevalence of domestic abuse…
You may already know some of these statistics and facts.
Others may surprise you! I will update and/or change and add to this page as I become aware of different or updated statistics and facts. If you have one that I have missed, that you would like to be on this page, please email me sharon@sharonbryanconsultancy.com and I will add it.
130,000 children live in households with high-risk domestic abuse. Source: CAADA (2012) A place of greater safety: insights into domestic abuse (PDF).
On average two women are killed by their partner or ex-partner every week in England and Wales.* (ONS, 2018) Source – Office for National Statistics (ONS). (2018) Domestic abuse: findings from the Crime Survey for England and Wales: year ending March 2017. Published online: ONS
On average the police in England and Wales receive over 100 calls relating to domestic abuse every hour. (HMIC, 2015) Source – Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC). (2015) Increasingly everyone’s business: A progress report on the police response to domestic abuse. Published online: HMIC, p. 28
Accounts for 16% of all violent crime. Source: Crime in England and Wales 04/05 report.
Domestic Abuse is the single most quoted reason for becoming homeless. Source – Shelter 2002.
Women are much more likely than men to be the victims of high risk or severe domestic abuse: 95% of those going to Marac or accessing an Idva service are women. Source – SafeLives (2015), Insights Idva National Dataset 2013-14. Bristol: SafeLives.
In 2013-14 the police recorded 887,000 domestic abuse incidents in England and Wales. Source – ONS (2014), Crime Survey England and Wales 2013 – 14. London: Office for National Statistics.
Over 80% of high-risk victims report experiencing physical abuse. Source – SafeLives (2015), Insights Idva National Dataset 2013-14. Bristol: SafeLives.
Nearly 90% of high-risk victims report experiencing emotional abuse and/or coercive control (jealous and controlling behaviours). Source – SafeLives (2015), Insights Idva National Dataset 2013-14. Bristol: SafeLives.
1 in 5 high-risk victims reported attending A&E as a result of their injuries in the year before getting effective help. Source – SafeLives (2015), Getting it right first time: policy report. Bristol: SafeLives.
Domestic abuse has significant psychological consequences for victims, including anxiety, depression, suicidal behaviour, low self-esteem, inability to trust others, flashbacks, sleep disturbances and emotional detachment. Source – CTC (2014), Website of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Division of Violence Prevention.
Between 30 and 60% of psychiatric in-patients had experienced severe domestic abuse. Source – Howard, L.M., Trevillion, K., Khalifeh, H., Woodall, A., Agnew-Davies, R. and Feder, G. (2010), Domestic violence and severe psychiatric disorders: prevalence and interventions in ‘Psychological Medicine’ (2010), 40 ,881-893. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
In the year ending March 2016, 1.2 million women reported experiences of domestic abuse in England and Wales. Source – Office for National Statistics (2016) Domestic Abuse in England and Wales: year ending March 2016.
It is estimated that around three women a week commit suicide as a result of domestic violence. Source – Professor Sylvia Walby (2004) The Cost of Domestic Violence.
62% of children in households where domestic violence is happening are also directly harmed. Source – SafeLives (2015) Getting it right the first time.
Between 2005 and 2015, 19 children in 12 families were killed by violent fathers who had been allowed to see them through formal and informal child contact arrangements. Source – Women’s Aid (2016) 19 Child Homicides.
Domestic violence gets worse during pregnancy: it is estimated that four to nine in every 100 pregnant women are abused during their pregnancy or soon after the birth. Source – Angela Taft (2002)
One in two young women have experienced controlling behaviour in an intimate relationship
- A third of young people said that how a controlling partner had treated them prevented them living their life
- 1 in 3 say they find it difficult to define the line between a caring action and a controlling one
- Over a third (37%) would not know where or who to turn to for support if they were experiencing the issue.
Source – Refuge and Avon’s ‘Define the Line’ study (2017)
41% of men aged 18–24 say a woman is totally or partly to blame for her sexual assault if she goes out late at night, wears a short skirt and gets drunk. Source – The Fawcett Society (2017), Sounds Familiar?
In 2013-15, four times more women than men were killed by their partner/ex-partner. Source – Office for National Statistics (2016) Compendium – Homicide (average taken over 10 years)
Women experience domestic violence with much more intensity – 89% of people who experience four or more incidents of domestic violence are women. Source – Walby and Allen (2004) Domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking: Findings from the British Crime Survey.
Despite the fact that women are three times more likely to be arrested for incidents of abuse, Crown Prosecution Service data shows that 93% of defendants in domestic abuse court cases are male, and 84% of victims are female. Source – Professor Marianne Hester (2009) Who Does What to Whom? Gender and Domestic Violence Perpetrators and Crown Prosecution Service, Violence against Women and Girls Crime Report, 2014–2015.
It is estimated that domestic violence costs the UK almost £23 billion a year. Source – Professor Sylvia Walby (2004) The Cost of Domestic Violence (total cost of domestic violence to the state, employers and victims – including the human and emotional cost).
85% of those experiencing domestic violence sought help from professionals an average of five times before they received effective help to stop the abuse. Source – SafeLives (2015) Getting it right the first time: Executive Summary.
Domestic violence has a higher rate of repeat victimisation than any other crime – in 2010/11, 73% of all incidents were experienced by repeat victims. Source – Home Office (2011) Crime in England and Wales 2010/11: Findings from the British Crime Survey and police recorded crime.
The overwhelming majority of domestic abuse cases are not prosecuted; fewer than 10% of incidents reported to police will end in conviction.
In the year ending March 2016 there were 1.03 million domestic abuse-related incidents reported to police, of which 421,000 were deemed by police to be domestic abuse-related criminal offences. Yet there were only 100,930 prosecutions and 75,235 convictions.
Source – Office for National Statistics (2016) Domestic Abuse in England and Wales: year ending March 2016.
Refuge has experienced cuts to 80% of its services since 2011, with some funding being cut by up to 50%. Source – Refuge.
Since 2010, this country has lost 17% of its specialist domestic violence refuges. Source – Women’s Aid (2014)
A recent Home Office review of 24 DHRs (Domestic Homicide Reviews) in June 2016, found –
- Gender of victim: 92% female (22/24) 8% male
- Age: Youngest victim was 20, the oldest was 81.
- Ethnicity: 1/3 victims were BME women (8/24)
- Disability: 5 of the victims had a disability (5/24)
- Sexual orientation: 96% Heterosexual (23/24) 1 gay male victim
- Dependent children: 71% of victims had children (17/24)
