Violence against women soars by nearly 40 per cent - Medway Council and Kent County Council call for extra vigilance and education for young people.
A new report released by the National Police Chiefs’ Council warns that violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a ‘national emergency’, with cases rising by 37 per cent in the last five years.
At least one in every 12 women will be a victim of VAWG per year (two million victims) and numbers are expected to be higher as many feel too ashamed or concerned about reporting their experiences.
With the summer holidays presenting a heightened time for children and young people to be exposed to violence and abuse and grooming, the This invites people to Know: what domestic abuse is, See: what action they can take, Speak Out: signpost people to support services and call out abusive behaviour.
The report states that 3,000 offences of VAWG are recorded nationally each day, with child sexual abuse and exploitation increasing by more than 400 per cent between 2013 and 2022. In Kent, one in five crimes reported to the police are domestic abuse related and one in five children have been exposed to domestic abuse in their household .
Hanna Dodds, Children and Young People’s Mentor at Oasis Domestic Abuse Service says: “These statistics are truly horrifying and it’s something we are seeing every day at Oasis. VAWG presents a very real threat to our young people, in and out of school and college. With the rise of influential figures promoting misogyny online, we have to step up the education of young people about healthy relationships in all areas of society. That calls for a multi-agency and whole-community response. Abuse is when someone uses power to control someone with whom they have a personal connection. We need to help young people to identify abusive behaviours and signpost them to support, in every setting they encounter – home, school/college, youth clubs, places of worship. The Kent and Medway Domestic Abuse Services are here for anyone that is affected. You are not alone.”
A recent Women’s Aid report found that children and young people exposed to misogynistic social media content were almost five times more likely than those not exposed to view hurting someone physically as acceptable if they say sorry afterwards.
“Hanna”, a young woman supported by Oasis says: “Having a violent or abusive partner has been glamourised on social media. It’s being normalised. Young people need to realise it’s not normal, it’s not healthy – they shouldn’t have to go through that. Through the support, it made me realise none of it was my fault.
Mobile phones make abusive relationships so much worse, including social media stalking. I had to send videos and photos of the people I was with and a 360-degree image of the environment I was in. I’d be accused of cheating, called names, if they didn't get what they wanted. I’ve seen so many threats to expose pictures. It affects your feeling of safety, trust and makes you question yourself. A major problem is location finding on social media. They find where you are so easily.”
Led by Kent County Council, Medway Council and the Kent Integrated Domestic Abuse Service (KIDAS) and Medway Domestic Abuse Service (MDAS) partnership and involving a range of partners, the #KnowSeeSpeakOut campaign encourages residents, businesses, and community groups to become informed about the crime and be able to direct people to safety. The summer holiday presents a vital time to raise awareness.
Shareable resources have been developed, including social media posts and a printable poster that can be put up in venues, so that everyone can get behind the campaign. Download the resources here.
Cllr Vince Maple, Leader of Medway Council and White Ribbon Ambassador, says: “Domestic abuse is completely unacceptable, and something that nobody should have to experience. We want everybody to feel comfortable to speak up and challenge unacceptable behaviour when they don’t think something is right – and the more awareness and education around this important topic there is, the more this will happen. I also want to remind anybody who is experiencing abuse that there is help out there – if you need support, please reach out. Remember, you are not alone.”
Roger Gough, Kent County Council Leader and White Ribbon Ambassador says: “We have an urgent need to ensure that our young people know what healthy relationships are, and for there to be education, prevention and early intervention to reduce cases of VAWG. No woman or girl should be subject to these types of offences, which the NPCC report highlights are becoming “ever more complicated”. These include, but are not limited to, coercive control, sexual assault, stalking and harassment. We continue to work closely with partners including our commissioned domestic abuse services, education providers and Kent Police to improve the response to VAWG. Together with our communities, we can all work to reduce and eradicate this crime.
To access specialist Domestic Abuse support through KIDAS or MDAS please call Victim Support 0808 168 9111 or visit www.domesticabuseservices.org.uk, where you can also find information, resources and training webinars.
In an emergency, call the police on 999 (if you can’t speak, cough, or tap the handset then press 55 on your phone - the police will know it’s an emergency).