Emma Soutar and Claire Cooper

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• Emma Soutar and Claire Cooper
• Southwark Floating Support
• 17th June, 2009

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Refuge who we are

• National domestic violence charity
• Largest single provider
• Worlds first refuge 1971
• Supporting 1,000 women and children on any given
  day

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Refuges package of services

Child support workers
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Power and control wheel 1

• Using intimidation making her afraid by using
  looks, actions, gestures, smashing things,
  destroying her property, abusing pets, displaying
  weapons.
• Using emotional abuse putting her down, making
  her feel bad about herself, calling her names,
  making her think she's crazy, playing mind games,
  humiliating her, making her feel guilty.
• Using isolation controlling what she does, who
  she sees and talks to, what she reads, where she
  goes, limiting her outside involvement, using
  jealousy to justify actions.
• Minimizing, denying, and blaming making light of
  the abuse and not
• taking her concerns about it seriously, saying
  the abuse didn't
• happen, shifting responsibility for abusive
  behavior, saying she
• caused it.

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Power and control wheel 2

• Using children making her feel guilty about the
  children, using the children to relay messages,
  using visitation to harass her, threatening to
  take children away.
• Using male privilege treating her like a
  servant, making all the big decisions, acting
  like the "master of the castle", being the one to
  define men's and women's roles.
• Using economic abuse preventing her from getting
  or keeping a job, making her ask for money,
  giving her an allowance, taking her money, not
  letting her know about or have access to family
  income.
• Using coercion and threats making and/or
  carrying out threats
• to hurt her, threatening to leave her, to commit
  suicide,
• to report her to welfare, making her drop
  charges, making
• her do illegal things.

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The problem
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Women killed by a current or former partner
every week
25
Percent of women will be abused in their
life-times
45
Percent of women who experience repeat
victimisation
35
Average number of assaults before a woman seeks
help
7
The problem
90
Per cent of abuse witnessed by children (where a
woman has children)
1
Call received by the police in the UK every
minute
15
Percent of reported violent crime that is
domestic violence
23
billion cost to the tax payer every year
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The cost of domestic violence
Including all costs, the total cost of domestic
violence for the state, employers and victims is
estimated at around 23 billion
Criminal Justice System 1billion Health Care
physical injuries 1.2 billion mental health
176 million Social Services 0.25
billion Housing 0.16 billion Civil Legal
0.3 billion Lost economic output 2.7
billion Human and emotional cost 17 billion
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The statistics

• 1 woman in 4 experiences domestic violence at
  some point in her life.
• Two women are killed each week in England and
  Wales by a current or former partner.
• Domestic violence accounts for almost a one in
  six incidents of reported violent crime.
• In 90 of domestic violence incidents where a
  woman has children, they are in the
• same or next room.

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The statistics

• On average a woman is assaulted 35 times
• before she seeks police help.
• The most common cause of death in victims of
  domestic violence is strangulation.
• Domestic Violence is the most under reported
  crime in the UK.

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Impacts on a woman - practical
Physical injury
Homelessness
Unemployment
Poverty
Substance abuse
Social isolation
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Impacts on a woman - emotional
Anxiety
Post-traumatic stress
Low self esteem
Depression
Self harm
Suicide
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Impacts on children
14
Impacts on children
Building relationships
Depression
Learning
Anxiety
Social skills
Development
Post-traumatic stress
Self-harm
Attitudes
Substance abuse
Behaviour
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Why do women stay?
Low confidence
Fear
Community
Access to money
Threats to take children
Keep children with father
Isolation
Unaware of options
Nowhere to go
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Myths of domestic violence

• Myth Alcohol and drugs make men violent
• Myth He hit her because he was under stress
• Myth She provoked him, she made him angry
• Myth It only happens in poor families on council
  estates
• Myth Some religions allow it

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Surely things have changed?
2/3
Men admit they would use violence in conflict
situations with partners
1/5
Young men think its acceptable to force their
wife into sex
1/2
Young men think rape is acceptable in some
circumstances
18
Surely things have changed?
1/10
Men think its ok to rape a woman if hes too
turned on to stop
1/8
Men think its ok to hit a nagging woman
34
of young men dont think forcing someone to
have sex is rape
19 of young women agree
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Refuge in Southwark

• In Southwark, Refuge provides
• Floating support
• Sanctuary Scheme
• Court advocates
• Support Groups
• Refuge Accommodation

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Refuge floating support, Southwark

• Informal legal information
• Housing
• Family
• Welfare benefits
• Debt advice
• Civil and criminal remedies
• Emotional and psychological support
• Education and employment advice 
• Sign post to specialist services
• Or just a listening ear

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Refuge floating support, Southwark

• Referral
• Initial Assessment
• Needs Assessment
• Individual Support Plan
• Risk Assessments
• Safety Planning
• Telephone Support

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Get help now

• Southwark Floating Support
• 0207 231 5514
• 0207 394 9356
• 0207 231 6847
• Fax [phone]
• PO Box 38476, SE16 2WW
• 24hour National Domestic Violence Helpline, run
  in partnership between Refuge and Womens Aid
• 0808 2000 247
• www.refuge.org.uk

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Refuges mission

• Refuge is committed to a world where domestic
  violence is not tolerated or ignored and where
  women and children can live in safety.
• Domestic violence is a crime.
  
• It is against the law.
  
• And it must not be ignored.