Tag: domestic abuse

Nearly 1700 offences in first year of Domestic Abuse Act

Nearly 1700 offences were recorded by Police Scotland in the first year of the new Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act.

As of 29 March 2020, 1673 domestic abuse offences had been recorded under the new law. Of those, 1569 offences were recorded where the victim was a woman. In 94 per cent of these cases the abuser was male. Of the remaining, 104 recorded crimes, the victim was a man.

ACC Duncan Sloan/DCS Sam McCluskey, lead for Major Crime and Public Protection/Head of Public Protection, Police Scotland, said: “Recognising, within law, the full range of behaviours used by abusers to control, coerce, and instil fear in their victims, has been the single most significant step in our efforts to tackle domestic abuse in Scotland.

“More than 14,000 of our officers and staff have now been trained to recognise that domestic abuse isn’t always violent or physical. It is often psychological: disempowering and isolating victims and removing them from the support of family and friends, which can have the most devastating impact.

“As an organisation we are developing a workplace culture where there is no tolerance for domestic abuse and which recognises that the responsibility for domestic abuse lies solely with the perpetrator.

“Abusers should understand, we will respond to all reports of domestic abuse. We will delve into their histories, we will speak to previous partners, and we will use all of the powers at our disposal to ensure they face the full consequences of their behaviour.

“During this time of uncertainty, as we manage the challenges and dynamic circumstances presented by COVID-19, our response to domestic abuse remains unchanged. Our officers will continue to work to prevent harm by identifying people who may be at risk of domestic abuse.”

Introduced on 1 April 2019, the Act brought in a new domestic abuse offence which recognised that abuse was often a course of conduct, and that abusive behaviours included violent, physical, sexual, psychological and financial abuse. The offence carries a maximum tariff of 14 years.

People are being asked to contact the police or partner agencies, if they, or anyone they know, is or may be at risk of domestic abuse. Please call 101, or 999 in an emergency. Or contact the domestic abuse and forced marriage helpline on 0800 027 1234, where support is available 24/7.

BBFC to change domestic abuse film ratings

  • Following new research, after working with Women’s Aid and Respect, the BBFC is changing the way domestic abuse is labelled in its ratings info for films and episodic content
  • ‘Domestic abuse’ will now be used instead of  ‘domestic violence’
  • ​​​​​​​The BBFC will now flag the issue of domestic abuse in all content, even if the scene is not category defining
  • Research highlights BBFC is getting it right when it comes to classifying scenes of domestic abuse

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) is changing the way it highlights domestic abuse in ratings info for films and episodic content, after working with Women’s Aid and Respect on new research. 

The research – which focused on both female and male survivors of domestic abuse, experts and the general public – showed that the BBFC is getting it right when it comes to classification decisions in both films and episodic content featuring domestic abuse. The regulator already takes domestic abuse portrayals seriously, and the respondents agreed that the BBFC rightly classifies these issues at a higher category.

The research showed that ‘less is more’, and going into too much detail in the ratings info is a minefield as people’s sensitivities and triggers are complex – this is already taken into account in the classification decision. It was highlighted that the widely understood catch-all term of ‘domestic abuse’ was much better placed to describe such scenes, as it is considered broad enough to include psychological and economic abuse, gaslighting and non sexual abuse of children.

Therefore, the BBFC will now use ‘domestic abuse’ instead of ‘domestic violence’ in the ratings info it issues to accompany its ratings. The BBFC will also stop using the term ‘themes of’, which the research showed people felt trivialised the issue.

The research flagged that survivors can be triggered by scenes of domestic abuse, especially if it is unexpected. This can be traumatising, and can lead to people avoiding certain types of content. Responding to these findings, the BBFC will now flag domestic abuse in every case, even if the scenes are not category defining.

David Austin, Chief Executive of the BBFC, said: “This timely and important research is shining a light on people’s attitudes towards domestic abuse, and it’s important that our classifications reflect what people think.

“It’s very encouraging to see that we’re getting our classification decisions right when it comes to domestic abuse, which already can be category defining. But what it has shown, is that we should bring our ratings info more in line with what people expect and understand, which is exactly what we’re going to be doing.

“These changes will give people the information they need to choose content well. Most particularly in this case, the ratings info will highlight the issues to those that have been personally affected by domestic abuse, so they are forewarned of content which could trigger distress.”

While there were few factors that would reduce the impact of watching a scene of domestic abuse, a series of aggravating factors among survivors were flagged, including: the sound of a key turning in a lock; the silence before an attack; the sound of a slap or a punch; and seeing fear in someone’s face or eyes.

Adina Claire, Acting co-Chief Executive of Women’s Aid, said: “This research has given an important insight into what survivors, experts and the general public think about depictions of domestic abuse in films and episodic content.

“We’re pleased that the BBFC have responded to the report, and have reflected the attitudes in their classification policies – meaning that anyone affected by domestic abuse will now have the clear and consistent information they need about what triggers content may contain.”

The research also found that the term ‘child abuse’ was widely associated with sexual abuse, rather than domestic abuse, and having a child present in a scene depicting domestic abuse often meant that the scene was more triggering for audiences.

Therefore, the BBFC will limit the use of ‘child abuse’ to scenes where child sexual abuse is depicted only, with non sexual child abuse also described as ‘domestic abuse’.

People agreed it’s very important to educate audiences about the issue and to encourage awareness and discussion. As such, the research strongly underpins the BBFC’s policy of being less restrictive on public information campaigns than on commercial trailers and ads, rating them at the lowest reasonable classification.

Port of Leith Housing Association makes a stand against domestic abuse

Port of Leith Housing Association (PoLHA) has become one of the latest organisations to have signed up to the Charted Institute of Housing’s (CIH) Make a Stand campaign. Continue reading Port of Leith Housing Association makes a stand against domestic abuse

Scottish Government makes £2.8 million available to tackle domestic abuse

A ground-breaking initiative to combat domestic abuse is to be expanded around the country to help maximise victims’ safety and hold offenders to account for their violence. £2.8 million will be available for local authorities to apply for support to roll out the Caledonian System within their area to enable more perpetrators to address their behaviour.

The Caledonian System is a specialist court-mandated programme working with male perpetrators, which also aims to improve the lives of women and children affected.

The announcement was made by Justice Secretary Michael Matheson while attending training for social workers who work with male offenders and liaise with the women and children’s services for the programme. He said: “Levels of domestic abuse remain at unacceptably high levels in Scotland. We know that the official statistics still do not paint the whole picture, as victims are often too afraid to report abuse. We also know domestic abuse disproportionately affects women, with men as the primary perpetrators.

“Put simply, attitudes need to change. The Caledonian System has been running in parts of Scotland and the evidence indicates that men who completed the programme posed a lower risk to partners, children and others by the end of the programme. Women also reported that they felt safer.

“The funding I am announcing today will further strengthen our push to eradicate this scourge on society. Domestic abuse offenders need to understand the harm they cause and what they can do to change their behaviour.”

Linda Rodgers, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Women’s Aid said: “It is crucial that we have a range of services across Scotland for those affected by domestic abuse and that these services include interventions to support perpetrators to change their behaviour. The Caledonian Programme is a safe and robust perpetrator programme developed in Scotland for the Scottish context.

“I am absolutely delighted that the programme will now be operating and enhancing the safety of women and children across Scotland.”

The Caledonian System is not an alternative to prosecution but is a direct alternative to custody and to other high tariff community disposals given after an accused has been convicted of a domestic abuse related offence.

If at any point the programme is breached by the perpetrator the case is returned to court for consideration of whether a separate sentence should be imposed. It is currently delivered through hubs in Aberdeen City, City of Edinburgh, Falkirk, Dumfries & Galloway and North Ayrshire Councils.

The overall funding to the local authorities that deliver the Men’s Programme currently is approximately £1.3 million per annum, with approximately £1.1 million distributed to local authorities and SACRO to deliver Women’s and Children’s Services.

An evaluation of the Caledonian System was published in November 2016. Based on the most recent figures, more than 450 men are engaged with the Men’s Programme, with over 1200 having participated since 2011. There have been 1230 women offered access to the Women’s Service in that same timescale, with over 720 currently engaging, and 1040 children known to the Children’s Service.

The safety of partners and their children is an absolute priority for the Caledonian System.  There was a strong belief among women interviewed for the evaluation that the Women’s Service, and the fact that it works together with the Men’s Programme as a system, had both contributed significantly to making them safer.

Evidence indicates that men who completed the programme posed a lower risk to partners, children and others by the end of the programme. There is also evidence that women engaged with the programme feel safer. More information on the Caledonian System is available on the Scottish Government website.

Charity reports ‘staggering’ rise in domestic abuse figures

  • Grants to families affected by domestic abuse rose by 22% (between 2015 and 2016)
  • 42% of grants awarded by Buttle UK last year were to support babies and children, four and under, exposed to domestic abuse.  The number of those four and under increased by 35% between 2015 and 2016
  • Domestic abuse is the primary reason why Buttle UK gets referrals for family support
  • Charity shows that a fast, timely and targeted intervention can have a long-term, positive and profound affect on child affected by domestic abuse 
  • Charity calls on Government for dedicated policy on domestic abuse which recognisees the needs of children, making them a priority
  • Charity calls for systemic change in the way support services function to account for the needs of children

Figures released today by Buttle UK – a UK-wide charity providing financial support to help children (up to the age of 18) in crisis – has shown a staggering growth in the number of young victims exposed to domestic abuse.
Continue reading Charity reports ‘staggering’ rise in domestic abuse figures