welcome

Domestic Abuse and Violence against Women

Awareness Raising

Trainers:- Kerry Herriott - Development Officer Domestic Abuse and

Violence Against Women Partnership Beth Mitchell - Child Protection Officer, Social Work Services

Housekeeping

Emergency ArrangementsMobile Phones

Self Care: Emotive Warning

Ground Rules

• Listen without interruption• Have respect for the feelings,

experiences and values of others• Respect confidentiality• Be responsible for your own learning

Learning Objectivesby the end of this course you will:-• Understand the nature and context of domestic

abuse• Understand the impact of domestic abuse on the

safety and welfare of children• Understand domestic abuse and how this can

impact on parenting capacity• Have an awareness of local services to support

women who have suffered domestic abuse• Have an awareness of local services available to

children who have experienced domestic abuse

Activity 1

What is Domestic Abuse?

The National Strategy to Address Domestic Abuse in Scotland

• Domestic abuse ( as gender-based abuse) can be perpetrated by partners or ex-partners and can include

• Physical abuse - assault and physical attack involving a range of behaviour

• Sexual abuse - acts which degrade and humiliate women and are perpetrated against their will, including rape

• Mental and emotional abuse - such as threats, verbal abuse, racial abuse, withholding money and other types of controlling behaviour such as isolation from family or friends

What is gender-based violence?

“Violence that is directed against a woman because she is a woman, or violence that affects women disproportionately. It includes acts that inflict physical, mental or sexual harm or suffering, threats of such acts, coercion and other deprivations of liberty.” (United Nations)

DOMESTICABUSE

HARMFUL TRADITIONAL

PRACTICES

SEXUAL HARASSMENT& STALKING

COMMERCIALSEXUAL

EXPLOITATION

CHILD SEXUALABUSE

RAPE ANDSEXUAL ASSAULT

GENDER-BASEDGENDER-BASED VIOLENCEVIOLENCE

It encompasses

• Domestic abuse• Rape• Sexual harassment and intimidation at work and

in the public sphere• Commercial sexual exploitation• Prostitution and trafficking• Child sexual abuse• Dowry related violence• Female genital mutilation• Forced and child marriages• Honour crimes

The context of Domestic Abuse

A HISTORIC PERSPECTIVE !

1600

• There were special crimes and punishments for women only

• Women found guilty of gossiping and quarrelling were forced to stand in public with a “branks” over their head

• A “branks” was made out of metal and had a mouth piece to hold down the tongue, keep the mouth open and keep the woman silent

1782

• Judge Buller ruled that a man could beat his with a stick as long as it was not thicker than his thumb.

• It was considered acceptable at this time that men would need to use violence to control and punish their wives

1800

• Before a woman married, her father or nearest male relative would make decisions for her until she reached the age of 21

• When she married, her husband made decisions for her

• A woman’s husband owned all her possessions up until 1870

1878

• Women for the first time are ‘allowed’ to study for university degrees.

1909

• Women, known as suffragettes, who had been campaigning for the right to vote for almost thirty years, began to take militant direct action

• Many went to jail for their actions• Some went on hunger strike and

were force-fed

1919

• Nancy Astor became the first woman MP to take up her seat in the House of Commons.

1928

• All women over the age of 21 are able to vote

• Women struggled for almost 100 years for the right to vote at political elections

1970s

• The first refuges for women experiencing domestic violence were opened in Scotland and England

1989

• Rape within marriage was recognised as a crime in Scotland

• The law was changed in England and Wales in 1991

1993

• The first Zero Tolerance campaign was launched by the Women’s Committee of Edinburgh District Council

• It was taken up the local authorities across the UK

• Violence against women became a policy priority of the Scottish Parliament, established 1999

GENDER STEREOYPING

ACTIVITY 2

Definition sex

• Refers to biological characteristics• The system of reproductions which

distinguish the human species as male or female

• It does not determine differences in behaviour status or qualities

• These are ascribed by the social situations in which men and women live

Definition Gender

• Gender ascriptions are learned• They determine how we are

perceived and how we are expected to act

• It determines how we are expected to act

• It determines how we order societies

Coffee Break

Some Statistics

• In the context of domestic abuse, 40 to 60 percent of children and young people are also physically abused by the perpetrator (Mullender & Morley ( Eds), 1995)

• Inquiries into child killings in the UK indicate a context of domestic abuse in a large proportion of cases in which children have died as a result of physical abuse ((O’Hara, 1994 UK)

• The majority of children can describe incidents of domestic abuse in detail (Jaffe et al 1990)

• Children are in the same or next room in 90% of cases ( Hughes 1992)

• Women who experience violence have a 50% higher incidence of miscarriage ( Mooney 1993)

2007, 2008 & 2009 STATISTICS (from Pathfinder – based on Police Statistics

2007 2008 2009

TOTAL NUMBER OF DOMESTIC ABUSE (DA) INCIDENTS

1241 1146 1175

TOTAL NUMBER INCLUDING CHILDREN 649 609 629

TOTAL NUMBER EXCLUDING CHILDREN 592 537 546

TOTAL NUMBER OF CHILDREN INVOLVED IN DA INCIDENTS

1131 1027 1061

TOTAL NUMBER DA INCIDENTS BY AREA 2007 2008 2009NITHSDALE 607 525 549

ANNANDALE & ESKDALE 278 319 270

STEWARTRY 103 95 107

STRANRAER 250 191 223

GENDER 2007 2008 2009MALE PERPETRATOR, FEMALE VICTIM 1077 996 1008

FEMALE PERPETRATOR, MALE VICTIM 159 140 149

FEMALE PERPETRATOR, FEMALE VICTIM 1 4 5

MALE PERPETRATOR, MALE VICTIM 4 6 13

Impact of Domestic Abuse on parenting

Activity 3

Gaining Power and Control

“ why doesn’t she just leave?”

• Isolation• Disability & Exhaustion• Degradation and Humiliation• Threats• Displays of Total Power• Enforcing Trivial Demands• Occasional Indulgences• Distorted Perspectives

Consequences of Violence Against Women

• Goes far beyond immediate physical damage

• Erodes women’s self-esteem• Inhibits her ability to defend

herself/take action against the abuser• Health implications – physical and

mental• Repercussions echo through family

and society

Activity 4

“Daddy be good”

How children respond to Domestic Abuse

• Increased aggression • School problems• Anxiety• Grief• Insomnia• Mental Health problems,

psychological and/or behavioural difficulties

• Loss of confidence

What to do if you are concerned about a child

• Know who to report to in your own agency if you have

concerns about a child• Seek advice from the police tel. no.0845 600 5701 In an emergency always dial 999• Seek advice from Social Work Services tel. no 01387 260000 Out of Hours Social Work – 0800 811 505• Don’t delay

Local support services for children and women who have experienced Domestic

Abuse

• Women’s Aid :Dumfriesshire and Stewartry Women’s Aid 01387 263052. 24 hr on –call 07710152772

• Wigtownshire Women’s Aid 01776 703104• South West Rape Crisis & Sexual Abuse

Centre – 01387 253113• Men’s Advice Line – 0808 801 0327• For perpetrators RESPECT – 0845 122

8609

Activity 5

Quiz

Thank you For your participation