How Covid and Christmas are putting more women and children at risk of domestic abuse
TRIGGER WARNING: this article discusses DOMESTIC ABUSE and violence AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN
For more women and children than we can fathom, Christmas will only offer more of the same domestic violence they must endure all year round. And, after a spike in cases during lockdown, the Scottish Government is stepping in to do something about this crisis.
The effects of coronavirus have rippled throughout Scotland, destroying businesses and livelihoods, and tearing families apart in its wake. However, it's only now that some of the reaches of its devastation are coming to light.
As we came to terms with the inconveniences of quarantine, it presented – and continues to present – an impossible problem for victims of domestic violence; mostly, women and children, who have found themselves trapped in one of the most dangerous places possible—at home with their abuser. And, on the cusp of a sombre Christmas, domestic violence is predicted to peak.
Reports confirm that, across Britain, a call was made to a domestic violence helpline every thirty seconds the first seven weeks of lockdown, putting immense pressure on the charities already at breaking point. For those women who need immediate assistance, Police Scotland says it has 11,000 trained officers and staff, including call handlers who are ready and prepared to respond to the likely hike in reports made this winter.
In Scotland, police will typically receive a domestic abuse report every nine minutes and, historically, they experience a 25% rise in domestic abuse-related reports during the festive period. But with the added stress and pressure of Covid restrictions, we could have an unprecedented number of women and children in danger.
Detective Superintendent Debbie Forrester, Scotland’s lead officer for domestic abuse, said: ‘It can be psychological, emotional, and financial abuse; an escalation of those behaviours can also lead to a domestic homicide, not just an escalation of physical violence.’ The facts speak for themselves; over the past ten years in Scotland, 44% of female homicide victims were killed by a partner or ex-partner.
DSI Forrester also acknowledges that ‘under-reporting is a huge issue with gender-based violence and domestic abuse.’ Therefore, the number of victims could be substantially higher as many cannot or do not reach out for help. Be it to keep up appearances for other family members, or the fear that their situation could escalate further should their request for assistance be discovered by their abuser. This is where the work of charities can become a matter of life and death.
‘COVID has given abusers more tools to control and harm women and children’
Ordinarily, the focus of domestic violence charities and resources would be to help victims escape; now, it’s helping them survive, often by speaking with victims whilst they barricade themselves in the safest place in their homes. Lockdown has simply made it harder for them to escape their abusers; even to make that all-important phone call in the first place.
With requests for help coming in faster than ever before, charities have struggled to offer tangible solutions to those in most in need, due to pandemic-related restrictions.
Research published by Scotland’s leading domestic abuse charity, Scottish Women’s Aid, reveals the devastating effects that coronavirus and its subsequent measures have had on those experiencing domestic abuse and on the specialist services working to support survivors.
For women, children and young people experiencing domestic abuse, the pandemic has been particularly difficult and dangerous,’ stresses Dr Marsha Scott, Chief Executive of Scottish Women’s Aid. ‘As lockdown measures change, we are expecting a substantial increase in demand for services. Urgent action is required by the Scottish Government, the judiciary, and local authorities to remedy the problems we’ve set out in this new report and twand is determined to tackle violence against women and children by allocating £4.25 million in extra funding for charities and projects across Scotland.
Pandemic-related safety measures significantly decreased emergency refuge spaces, and many local Women’s Aid groups report that the need for refuge is far outstripping capacity.
Compounding this problem, many local authorities and housing associations stopped allocating new homes during lockdown, often meaning that children and women in refuge had no place to move on to, forcing them to stay put. Thus, a limited number of refuge space is made available for those looking to escape their abuser. Many Women’s Aid groups also reported a loss in income from housing benefit, which poses a threat to their ability to provide emergency accommodation.
Women who have been victims of violence who share custody of their children with their abuser are also experiencing increased risk. Corruption of child visitation and contact arrangements is evident across multiple regions, and Women’s Aid claims local systems did not effectively respond to abusers using the pandemic as an excuse not to return children to their mothers. As such, handovers for child visits have also become increasingly dangerous for women and children experiencing domestic abuse. Furthermore, changes to the criminal justice system, such as the increased use of undertakings and bail, have resulted in greater risks to women whose abusers who might ordinarily have been remanded in custody. The backlog of court cases resulting from the closure of courts will have an ongoing and debilitating effect on women’s already fragile access to justice.
‘The work of domestic abuse charities can become a matter of life and death’
The report issued by Scottish Government regarding its funding announcement details that women and children experiencing or who are at risk of violence and domestic abuse will have increased access to support, as the additional investment will help respond to an increase in demand for support services. More staff, increased hours for centres and helplines, improvements to IT and new digital resources, and training will all allow services to be up-scaled so that more people can quickly and easily access help.
‘The greater risks to women and children of domestic abuse with referrals to frontline services increasing during the pandemic is a major concern,’ implores Equalities Minister Christina McKelvie. ‘It is atrocious that this is the case, but we are focused on ensuring that frontline services can meet the increased demand for support. This extra funding will help to ensure these vital services are still able to provide support to people across the country, and the scale and innovation of these projects will provide a lifeline to many women and families.
Any kind of violence is unacceptable, and the safety and wellbeing needs of women and children need to be protected—that is even more important during a pandemic,’ McKelvie affirms. ‘Police Scotland continues to prioritise domestic abuse cases, so I would also encourage anyone suffering violence and domestic abuse not to hesitate to get the support they need.’
‘Our local Women’s Aid groups have shown extraordinary resilience and creativity in rapidly redesigning their services to continue supporting those experiencing domestic abuse throughout the pandemic,’ continues Scottish Women’s Aid’s Dr Marsha Scott. ‘The challenges they’ve faced have been huge as COVID has given abusers more tools to control and harm women and children.
‘[However], this injection of financial support will provide some much-needed stability for groups against a backdrop of precarious, patchwork local funding. As lockdown and other measures change, our local groups are anticipating even more demand for their specialist services as survivors begin to have additional opportunities to seek support. This funding will strengthen the responses of groups and allow them to build on tHe progress they have made in delivering services remotely. This support from the Scottish Government will help local Women’s Aid services prepare to meet those needs and will mean that women, children and young people experiencing domestic abuse can access the help and advice they want; when they want it.’
With Christmas on the fast approach and lockdown restrictions being reimposed, this additional funding couldn’t come at a more critical time.
If you feel scared of your partner or if you are worried about someone you know, get in touch with Scotland’s 24-hour Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline on 0800 027 1234, email helpline@sdafmh.org.uk, or visit Sdafmh.org.uk. And, if you’re in a position to donate to this wholly necessary cause, visit Justgiving.com/scottishwomensaid.
HOW TO HELP SOMEONE AT RISK
Are you worried a friend or loved one is being abused? Sometimes women will explain away the signs, and while most people associate domestic violence with physical abuse, it comes in a variety of forms. These include psychological, emotional, sexual, financial, online, and even spiritual abuse.
First of all, let them know you’ve noticed something is wrong. They might not be ready to talk, but try to find quiet times when they can if they choose to. If someone does confide in you that they’re suffering domestic abuse, information found on the UK Government’s website suggests the following:
Listen, and be mindful of the language you use, taking care not to blame them inadvertently.
Acknowledge it takes strength to talk to someone about experiencing abuse.
Give them time to talk, but don’t push them to do so if they don’t want to.
Acknowledge they’re in a frightening and difficult situation.
Tell them nobody deserves to be threatened or beaten, despite what the abuser has said.
Support them as a friend— encourage them to express their feelings, and allow them to make their own decisions.
Don’t tell them to leave the relationship if they’re not ready— that’s their decision.
Ask if they have suffered physical harm—if so, offer to go with them to a hospital or GP.
Help them report the assault to the police if they choose to.
Be ready to provide information on organisations that offer help for people experiencing domestic abuse, such as Scottish Women’s Aid.