United Kingdom- Domestic Abuse Facts

1 in 4 women experience DV in their lifetime.  Also, 1 in 8 to 1 in 10 women experience it annually.
According to the United Kingdom,the following is the definition of Domestic Abuse:
“Any incident of threatening behavior, violence, or abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional) between adults who have or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of sexuality”

Police in the UK receive a call about domestic violence every single minute (Less 50% are reported).  That’s roughly 1,300 calls per day or over 570,000 every year.  

Approximately 2  women are killed by their past or current partner a week.

“Part IV of the Family Law Act 1996 provides single and unified domestic violence remedies in county courts and magistrates’ courts.”

The following people may apply: (ex) cohabitants, spouses,  those  who have lived or still live the same household (excluding the reasons of being an employee, tenant, lodger or boarder), certain relatives (e.g. parents, grandparents, in-laws, brothers, sisters), and those who have agreed to marry each other.
In the family courts, about 24,100 Domestic Violence orders were made.

Two types of orders:

1. A Non-molestation Order: can prohibit either particular behavior or general molestation. Since 2007, failing to obey the restrictions of these orders is a criminal offense for which someone could be arrested.
2. An Occupation Order: which can define or regulate rights of occupation of home i.e. a type of civil injunction used in domestic violence cases.  It restricts the right of a violent partner to enter or live in a shared home.

Resource Numbers

Freephone 24-Hour Domestic Violence Helpline (run in partnership between women’s aid & refuge)
0808 2000 247

Wales 24-Hour Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0808 80 10 800

Male Advice Line and Enquiry (MALE): 0808 801 0327

Mankind: Help-line service for male victims of domestic abuse/violence- 01823 334244

Broken Rainbow (Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender domestic violence forum) 08452 60 44 60
Resources: http://www.womensaid.org.uk/domestic_violence_topic.asp?section=0001000100220036&sectionTitle=Statistics
http://www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/SN03989 http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/publications/statistics-and-data/courts-and-sentencing/judicial-court-stats.pdf