Who does VAW happen to?

Violence against women has affected almost 1 in 2 women in the UK. [Coleman, K., Jansson, K., Kaiza, P., Reed, E., (2007) Homicides, Firearm Offences and Intimate Violence 2005/2006. Home Office, Editor]

 

The British Crime Survey of 2005 showed that 45% of women in the UK have experienced some form of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking. [Home Office (2005), Domestic violence: A national report, Home Office: London]

 

Marital status (especially being unmarried), being young and having a disability or limiting illness were found to be independently associated with intimate violence across the forms for men and women (it should be noted that association does not however prove causation). [Domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking: findings from the 2004/05 British Crime Survey Andrea Finney]

 

Among female victims of intimate violence, less serious sexual assault was most likely to be committed by a stranger (62%). Serious sexual assault was most likely to be committed by a partner (51%), with one in five female victims reporting that a current partner, boyfriend or girlfriend had been an offender (19%). The victim-offender relationship was more evenly spread for stalking with 33 per cent of female stalking victims reporting a partner, 34 per cent someone known to the victim other than a partner or family member, and 42 per cent reporting a stranger as an offender. [Domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking: findings from the 2004/05 British Crime Survey Andrea Finney]

 

People who report being in poor health (especially women) or having a limiting illness or disability are also disproportionately more likely to have experienced abuse in the past year. [Domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking: findings from the 2004/05 British Crime Survey Andrea Finney]

 

The odds of women having experienced partner abuse (non-sexual) are increased among those who are single compared with married. Prevalence among women is also increased where there are children in the household, which may indicate reluctance of women experiencing abuse by a partner to break up the family. [Domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking: findings from the 2004/05 British Crime Survey Andrea Finney]

 

70% of women prisoners experience mental health problems and half have been victims of sexual abuse. [Social Exclusion Unit (2002), Reducing re-offending by ex-prisoners, Social Exclusion Unit: London]