Crimes involving violence against women and girls have increased by almost 40%, and this could just be the tip of the iceberg. With police chiefs calling it a national emergency and epidemic, journalist Jo Waters investigates what’s being done to address the crisis.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC, 2024) recently revealed that violence against women and girls (VAWG) in England and Wales increased by 37% from 2018 to 2023. More than one million violent crimes against women and girls were recorded in 2023 (NPCC, 2024). At least one woman in every 12 is a victim annually, with the true rate likely to be much higher (NPCC, 2024). The NPCC also stated that child sexual abuse and exploitation increased by more than 400% from 2013 to 2022.
This is a UK-wide issue. In Scotland, one woman is murdered every 45 days (Scottish Police Authority, 2024) and 61,934 incidents of domestic abuse were recorded in 2022-23 (Scottish Government, 2024). Most (83%) of the cases were committed against women, although Scottish Women’s Aid said the figure was likely to be much higher as many cases are thought to go unreported.
Acts of domestic abuse in Northern Ireland are reported to the police every 16 minutes and sexual offences are reported every two hours (BBC, 2024). Two victims in three are women. Compared to the rest of the UK, women are twice as likely to be murdered as a result of domestic violence (Belfast Telegraph, 2024).
The figures are hard to compute. Not only is VAWG growing, but the nature of the crimes is becoming more complicated, causing significant harm to victims and society as a whole, says the NPCC (2024).
There are also relatively new 21st century crimes to consider, such as upskirting, stalking, online abuse and revenge porn.
WHAT ARE CPs SEEING IN SCHOOLS?
Being on the frontline, school nurses (SNs) regularly witness acts of harassment and violence towards girls.
A government-commissioned review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges found some children and young people considered harmful sex behaviours to be commonplace and not worth reporting (Ofsted, 2021). Nine girls in 10 (90%) who were interviewed said that sexist name calling and receiving unwanted explicit pictures or videos happened ‘a lot’ or ‘sometimes’.
Feedback from School and Public Health Nursing Association (SAPHNA) members echoes Ofsted’s findings. ‘What we are seeing is that young people are so affected by VAWG, and it is so commonplace, they do not even recognise this as an issue,’ a SAPHNA spokesperson told Community Practitioner (CP).
‘Girls, in particular, confuse control with care and feel that this represents a good partner/boyfriend. Young people struggle to articulate what VAWG is and don’t recognise if they are in a violent/controlling relationship, or if their friends are.’
‘WHAT WE ARE SEEING IS
THAT YOUNG PEOPLE ARE
SO AFFECTED BY VAWG, AND
IT IS SO COMMONPLACE, THEY
DO NOT EVEN RECOGNISE
THIS AS AN ISSUE’
‘We are seeing a high demand across all our services around VAWG,’ says the spokesperson. ‘Much of our work across our specialist caseloads for children and young people and families involves violence, [and] usually the perpetrator is the male in the household.
‘This not only affects children and young people, but also shapes their lens on relationship and gender stereotypes.’
Another SN told CP that girls have been harassed by boys who are their peers in school settings, both in person and online. ‘Girls have told me they feel intimidated by groups of boys in the corridor. They have been called sexist names or tripped over while they move around school minding their own business. I have occasionally heard that girls in my schools have been the victims of VAWG crimes perpetrated by boys in [the] same school, including sexual assault.’
| THE ALARMING REALITY |
| 3 days A woman is killed by a man every 3 days in the UK |
| 1.4m women in England and Wales are victims of domestic abuse |
| 400% Child sexual abuse and exploitation increased by more than 400% from 2013 to 2022 |
| 45 days 1 woman is murdered every 45 days in Scotland |
| 3rd Northern Ireland has the 3rd highest femicide rate in Europe |
Authority, 2024; ONS, 2023; Femicide Census, 2021.
DOMESTIC AND CHILD ABUSE
At a conservative estimate, 500,000 sexual offences are committed against children annually in the UK, says Ellie Pirrie, a senior NSPCC policy and public affairs officer. ‘That’s around one in 20 children – so one in every classroom, which is really quite alarming,’ says Ellie. ‘The majority of these crimes are committed against girls; it’s been called an epidemic and is really quite concerning.’
Most (60%) health visitors who took part in a national survey said they were involved in more child safeguarding work compared to the previous year (Institute of Health Visiting, 2023). And 75% reported an increase in domestic abuse.
Meanwhile, social media and access and exposure to online pornography is also having an impact on children. ‘This affects how children and young people view healthy and unhealthy relationships and sex,’ says Ellie. ‘It’s impacting their views on those kind of core foundational aspects of what a relationship should look like and it’s festering in schools.’
A total of 1.4 million women in England and Wales are thought to be victims of domestic abuse (ONS, 2023).
WHAT’S BEING DONE?
A raft of new measures to counter VAWG has been unveiled in recent months. The issue was identified as a key priority by the incoming Labour government, which pledged to halve crimes against women and girls in a decade (King’s Speech, 2024).
Shortly after the King’s Speech was published in July, deputy chief constable Maggie Blyth, said police chiefs were ‘absolutely determined to turn the tide on violence and abuse faced by women and girls and will continue to work tirelessly to do better for victims’. Maggie is also NPCC lead for violence against women and girls.
In September, the Home Office (2024a) unveiled plans to combat violence against women. New measures included embedding domestic abuse specialists in 999 control rooms to help with risk assessments. These specialists would also work with police officers on the ground to ensure victims receive a swift response. The initiatives will form part of ‘Raneem’s Law’, named in memory of Raneem Oudeh and her mother Khaola Saleem, who had reported concerns to the police 13 times before they were murdered by Raneem’s ex-husband (see Policing and VAWG, page 25).
‘SNs CAN HELP BY
CHALLENGING THE USE OF
LANGUAGE AND BEHAVIOURS
THAT ARE HARMFUL TO GIRLS
AND WOMEN, IN A NON-
CONFRONTATIONAL WAY’
Elsewhere, the Home Office (2024a) said it would introduce new domestic abuse protection order pilots. These orders will make it a legal requirement for offenders to inform the police of any changes in their names and addresses, impose electronic tagging and order assessments for behaviour change programmes.
In another initiative, advanced data analysis and algorithms will help to target the most dangerous perpetrators of abuse (Home Office 2024b).
Women’s Aid chief executive Farah Nazeer responded to the announcements at the time. She said: ‘We know that women’s confidence in the police is at an all-time low with only one in five reporting their experiences of abuse. Having specialist support throughout the process may help to improve this confidence and in turn increase justice.’
| SPOTTING THE SIGNS OF DOMESTIC ABUSE |
| There’s a whole range of indications that can alert practitioners that women and girls may be experiencing domestic abuse – some of them subtle. No one standalone symptom can be pinpointed – more a cluster of different factors. It’s advised to only ever raise the issue of abuse if you are alone with a client. Some potential signs to look out for (in adults, young people over 16, dependent children in their households) include the following: > Frequent appointments for vague symptoms, frequently missed appointments/ delayed antenatal care > Non-compliance with treatment or early discharge > Injuries inconsistent with explanations and multiple injuries at different stages of healing with repeated injuries, as well as headaches, cognitive problems and hearing loss > Symptoms of depression, fear, anxiety, PTSD, sleep problems self-harm > Intrusive other person in consultation |
However, she added that due to chronic underfunding over many years, the government had to commit to spending £516 million a year on domestic abuse services (Women’s Aid, 2024).
Andrea Simon, director of the End Violence Against Women charity, wants action beyond the criminal justice system. ‘We are calling for actions spanning the whole of government to end and prevent abuse – including the provision of quality relationships and sex education, improved responses from housing and healthcare, and sustainable funding for specialist women’s sector support services.’
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
The SNs quoted in this article spoke anonymously. ‘Healthcare professionals can play a vital role in our national response to violence against women and girls’, Andrea suggests. ‘They will often be among the first professionals to come into contact with those impacted by abuse, and so it is vital they are able to spot the indicators of abuse (see Spotting the signs of domestic abuse, above, and Resources) and provide interventions and pathways to specialist support (Protecting children, below, and Resources). However, we know that health bodies’ awareness and understanding of how to tackle these issues is often inadequate’, Andrea adds.
‘The government should resource a “whole health model”. This would include mandatory, regular and in-depth training for health practitioners on sexual violence and identifying abuse, and consultation with specialists in the violence against women sector.’
Speaking from an NSPCC perspective, Ellie Pirrie says HVs and SNs are well placed to respond to VAWG. ‘Health visitors visit women in their own homes, and we know that the early months of parenthood can be a volatile time for violence against women. School nurses are also on the frontline with girls in schools. It’s important both groups of health professionals are well resourced to be able to spot the signs of abuse and help get support for those affected by violence.’
An SN member of SAPHNA (which is calling for a SN to be available in every school) told CP that the solutions are complex and multifaceted. ‘A visible, safe, accessible and confidential access to a school nurse who is well known in their school and wider community would assist with this.
‘Alongside this, a well-structured and evidenced programme of education around relationship, harm, online safety, and so on is required. This could be delivered by external staff to school communities – school nurses and youth workers.
‘Young people say that this is what they want to have in place as conversations around sex and relationships can be awkward with teachers that they work with on a daily basis.’
‘WE ARE CALLING FOR
ACTIONS SPANNING THE
WHOLE OF GOVERNMENT TO
END AND PREVENT ABUSE’
VIOLENCE TOWARDS CPs
Another SN told CP that in relation to personal safety at work issues, she and her colleagues update each other on their whereabouts and retain an awareness of the lone working policy.
‘As a team, we rely on each other to share concerns if the people we work with might pose a risk to our safety,’ she says. For a CYP [child or young person] who lives in a family where there is VAWG, we must carefully consider the setting for a meeting and whether it might be safer to be accompanied by a colleague. We may choose not to visit the family home but feel safer to meet in the school environment or a clinic. Likewise, if we are visiting a CYP who has acted violently or been known to carry a weapon. I haven’t personally felt threatened in the school environment, but it is important to risk assess in some situations.’
| RESOURCES |
| > Guidance on recognising and responding to domestic abuse – Women’s Aid (2024) – NICE (2023) – Department of Health (2017) |
| > NSPCC guidance on recognising and responding to abuse in children and young people |
| > Helping children and mothers after domestic abuse, from NSPCC |
| > How young people are learning about relationships, sex and sexuality, from NSPCC |
| > Support for professionals working with children and young people when responding to harmful sexual behaviours |
| > End Violence Against Women |
Alison Spencer-Scragg is the Unite national officer for Women (equalities). She believes that NHS staff remain reluctant to report violence and harassment against them at work because they feel complaints will not be taken seriously or treated confidentially. ‘Then there’s the harassment and violence that comes from service users: 8.6% of staff in the NHS Staff Survey (2023) said they had witnessed some level of sexual misconduct from a patient or patient relatives – it’s really shocking,’ says Alison.
WHAT’S NEXT?
‘Given the vital role HVs and SNs play in safeguarding young people and families, there is a need for huge investments in the workforce,’ says Unite (health) lead professional officer Ethel Rodrigues.
Alison says a new piece of legislation which came into force at the end of October – the Worker’s Protection Bill – should have an impact on CP safety at work. It’s an amendment to the Equality Act which puts an active responsibility on employers for preventing their employees from experiencing sexual harassment at work.
‘The solution to this issue must be multifaceted though, a holistic approach, looking at everything from schools to the tech companies and the criminal justice system,’ highlights Alison. ‘It’s really not an exaggeration to say it’s a national emergency.’
PROTECTING CHILDREN
The NSPCC says: Services will risk assess the situation and take action to protect the child as appropriate either through statutory involvement or other support. This may include making a referral to the local authority.
> If you think a child is in immediate danger, contact the police on 999. If you’re worried about a child but they are not in immediate danger, you should share your concerns.
> The NSPCC Helpline can help when you’re not sure if a situation needs a safeguarding response. For support, advice, to share concerns about a child, or for reassurance, call 0808 800 5000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk
> NSPCC experts can talk you through which local services can help, advise you on next steps, or make referrals to children’s services and the police.
> Otherwise follow your organisational child protection procedures (see safeguarding policies and procedures); contact your local child protection services (see the relevant local authority); contact the police
‘GIVING YOUNG PEOPLE LESSONS IN FEMINISM’
One of the school nurses who contributed to this article believes boys and girls should receive lessons in feminism and that gender equality can benefit everyone.
‘Girls and women are often given well-meaning advice about keeping themselves safe by changing their behaviour. Don’t walk alone outside in the dark, wear flat shoes so you can run if you need to, don’t leave your drink unattended. The implication is that girls and women are responsible for their own safety and that they are to blame if they are a victim of VAWG.
‘It is important to address the behaviour of the boys and men who perpetrate VAWG. We change people’s behaviour by changing their beliefs and attitudes. I believe that schools and professionals who work with CYP, like SNs, have an important role to play in the solution to VAWG.
‘Schools should ensure they foster an environment where there is a clear understanding of what is and what is not considered appropriate and acceptable behaviour. Stereotypes of what constitutes a “real” man or woman should be challenged. Sexism should be challenged. SNs and other professionals who work with CYP can help by challenging the use of language and behaviours that are harmful to girls and women, in a non-confrontational way. I think that CYP don’t always understand what feminism is [all genders having equal rights and opportunities]. Some might be embarrassed to say they are a feminist. I think we need to teach CYP about feminism and how gender equality can benefit everyone.’
POLICING AND VAWG
In June 2020, sisters Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry were stabbed to death by a stranger after a birthday picnic in a London country park. Two police officers took and shared images of their bodies in a WhatsApp group, which triggered widespread public outrage.
Sarah Everard’s murder by serving police officer Wayne Cousins in 2021 and the sexual assault and killing of aspiring law student Zara Aleena in 2022 in London also brought femicide into the spotlight. Sadly, there are hundreds of cases that fail to attract the same media attention – many of them women who were murdered by their partners.
Disquiet about police attitudes to crimes against women and girls has grown in recent years. The murder of Raneem Oudeh and her mother Khaola Saleem by Raneem’s ex-husband in 2018, was yet another tragedy that was deemed to be avoidable.
On the night she died Raneem phoned 999 four times and had previously reported concerns about her safety to the police on 13 occasions with no arrests made. Raneem’s aunt has subsequently campaigned for changes in police responses to domestic violence, after an inquest found that police errors had contributed to her niece and sister’s deaths.
The Baroness Casey Review (Metropolitan Police, 2023) into the standards of behaviour and internal culture of the Met concluded that the ‘policy prioritisation of violence against women and girls has not been made an operational reality, and women and children do not get the protection and support they deserve’. The report calls for a ‘dedicated women’s protection service’.
Baroness Casey called for radical reforms, such as the creation of specialist ‘Soteria’ teams to deal with rape and other serious sexual offences. The domestic abuse service should adopt victim centred approaches and work in a closer and more integrated way with non-police specialist domestic abuse services, she added.
Add to this the wider ‘Me Too’ societal shift in attitudes to sexual assaults against women and girls, highlighted by prolific cases such as the Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and TV presenter Jimmy Savile, and pressure for change has mounted inexorably during the last decade or more.
HOW HAVE YOU BEEN AFFECTED?
Email your reflections and experiences to editor Aviva Attias aviva@communitypractitioner.co.uk
REFERENCES
BBC. (2024) Domestic and Sexual Abuse Strategy launched. See: bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yw51jvydxo (accessed 30 October 2024).
Belfast Telegraph. (2024) 20 women murdered in NI since 2020: Do we have a domestic violence problem? See: https://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/podcasts/the-beltel/20-women-murdered-in-ni-since-2020-do-we-have-a-domestic-violence-problem/a647159252.html (accessed 1 November 2024).
Department of Health. (2017) Responding to domestic abuse: A resource for health professionals . See https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7f850940f0b6230268ffba/DometicAbuseGuidance.pdf (accessed 31 October 2024).
Femicide Census. (2021) Femicide Census 2021. See: https://www.femicidecensus.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2021-Femicide-Census-Report.pdf (accessed 1 November 2024).
Home Office. (2024a) New measures to combat violence against women and girls. See: gov.uk/government/news/new-measures-set-out-to-combat-violence-against-women-and-girls (accessed 30 October 2024).
Home Office. (2024b) Top perpetrators of VAWG targeted under new national strategy. See: gov.uk/government/news/top-perpetrators-of-vawg-targeted-under-new-national-strategy (accessed 30 October 2024).
Institute of Health Visiting. (2023) Health visitor survey finds that more babies and young children are missing out on the government’s promise of the ‘best start in life’. See: ihv.org.uk/news-and-views/news/health-visitor-survey-finds-that-more-babies-and-young-children-are-missing-out-on-the-governments-promise-of-the-best-start-in-life/ (accessed 30 October 2024).
King’s Speech. (2024) King’s Speech 2024. See: gov.uk/government/speeches/the-kings-speech2024 (accessed 30 October 2024).
Metropolitan Police. (2023) The Baroness Casey Review. See: met.police.uk/police-forces/metropolitan-police/areas/about-us/about-the-met/bcr/baroness-casey-review/ (accessed 30 October 2024).
Ofsted. (2021) See: gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-sexual-abuse-in-schools-and-colleges/review-of-sexual-abuse-in-schools-and-colleges (accessed 30 October 2024).
Office for National Statistics (2023) Domestic abuse in England and Wales overview. See: ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/domesticabuseinenglandandwalesoverview/latest#main-points (accessed 30 October 2024).
NHS Staff Survey. (2023) See: NHS Staff Survey National Results. See: nhsstaffsurveys.com/results/national-results/ (accessed 30 October 2024).
NPCC. (2024) Call to action as VAWG epidemic deepens. See: news.npcc.police.uk/releases/call-to-action-as-violence-against-women-and-girls-epidemic-deepens-1 (accessed 30 October 2024).
Scottish Government. (2024) Domestic abuse: statistics recorded by the police in Scotland, 2022-23. See: gov.scot/publications/domestic-abuse-statistics-recorded-police-scotland-2022-23/pages/4/ (accessed 30 October 2024).
Scottish Police Authority. (2024) Violence Against Women and Girls – Public Briefing. See: spa.police.uk/publication-library/violence-against-women-and-girls-public-briefing-february-2024/prevalence/. (accessed 30 October 2024).
Women’s Aid. (2024) Women’s Aid responds to new measures announced by the Home Office, including Raneem’s Law and the piloting of Domestic Abuse Protection Orders, which aim to combat violence against women and girls. See: https://www.womensaid.org.uk/new-measures-announced-by-the-home-office/ (accessed 30 October 2024).
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