It is impossible to know exactly how many victims of abuse there are. Domestic abuse is largely a hidden crime that occurs mainly in the home. Official stats show the number of incidents recorded by the authorities every year. However, many victims including children, don’t tell anyone about the abuse and so they are not recorded as crimes.
Statistics we do have, collected from data and research are accessible online from various sources eg the government, police, Crime Survey and National Statistics. Organisations such as the NSPCC, Safe Lives, CAADA and Women’s Aid to name a few, present us with sadly, very real facts :
Each year nearly 2 million people in the UK suffer some form of domestic abuse
Domestic abuse will affect 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men in their lifetime
Each year more than 100,000 people in the UK are at high and imminent risk of being murdered or seriously injured as a result of domestic abuse
In the UK two women a week are murdered by their partners or ex-partners
Every day almost 30 women attempt suicide as a result of experiencing domestic abuse and every week 3 women take their own lives to escape abuse
Domestic abuse is the single most quoted reason for becoming homeless
Domestic abuse accounts for 16% of all crime in England and Wales
In the average primary school class at least 2 children have suffered abuse or neglect
Around 1 in 5 children have been exposed to domestic abuse
130,000 children live in homes where there is high-risk of domestic abuse
1,122 sexual offences against children under the age of 16 were recorded by Merseyside Police in 2018
Many children do not tell of abuse at the time because they’re scared of consequences or they’re unsure who to tell or how to tell someone
On average victims at high risk of serious harm or murder live with domestic abuse for 2-3 years before getting help
13% of victims report self harming
79% of teenage victims have experienced physical abuse and 19% sexual abuse
1 in 5 teenagers have been physically abused by their boyfriends or girlfriends
DOMESTIC ABUSE IS A CRIME – WE ALL HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST IT