Effects of Domestic Violence on Women in UK

This study examines the effects of domestic violence on women in the UK, including its impact on physical and mental health. It also discusses government policies and legislation aimed at protecting victims.

THE EFFECTS OF
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ON
WOMEN IN UK

Abstract
Domestic violence has become one of the leading consent across the whole world which
ave trapped a large number of people especially women. This study examines about the domestic
violence and its effect on physical as well as mental health. The government of UK has
developed a wide range of policies in view of the domestic violence where the main aim is to
protect the victims and provide them with the justices. The most important bill published in 2019
on domestic violence by the parliament of UK is Domestic abuse bill wherein various provision
were made for the victims of domestic violence.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................4
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Domestic violence is basically the behaviour of the individual wherein the violence is
being committed by one person on the other person and thus gain the control over that person. It
mainly occurs when the offender as well as victim shares the close relation and where one
partner dominates over the other in a negative way. The main purpose of this study is to
understand the growing prevalence of domestic violence among people especially women and to
gain an inside on the various policies and legislation being developed by the government of UK.
This report gives a brief about domestic violence, research on domestic abuse against
women, government policies against domestic violence and bills on domestic violence.
LR
Domestic violence
As per the view of (Woodlock 2017), Domestic violence is basically the violence or the
abuse which is done buy one individual against the another individual within the domestic setting
like marriage, cohabitation etc. In short, it is generally known by the name intimate partner
violence when it is committed by spouse and partner within intimate relation against another
spouse and partner. It can occur within heterosexual relation or within same relation. Domestic
violence not only involves the adults but it sometimes also surrounds children and old age
people. Its prevalence has generally become of the most leading and renowned health concern
across the whole world. It has a range of manifestation which makes it a globally discussed topic
worldwide. In most of the cases, the abusers not even have an understaffing that they are
influencing this domestic violence. On contrary to this, victims get offended physically as well as
mentally which not only impacts upon their health but also lowers down their self-confidence
and morale. As per the many experts, domestic violence is usually the pattern of the abusive
behaviour within relationship which is utilized by single partner for gaining the control and
influence over the another partner. Domestic violence are primarily of many types but the main
effect of all these types of abuses are that it affects the victim to a great extent and sometimes
also lead to even death or suicide.
Physical abuse
Physical violence of abuse mainly includes hitting, battering, biting, slapping, puling hair,
pinching, burning etc. This kind of the violent behaviour is generally inflicted upon victim and
also involves denying of the medical treatment as well as forcing drug utilization on someone.

Sexual violence or abuse
According to (Salter 2016), It takes place when the abuser coerces or makes the attempt
to pressurize the victim for having the sexual contact and sexual behaviour against the consent of
victim. This often appears as marital rape, physical violence, assaulting the sexual parts etc.
Emotional abuse
It mainly includes invalidating or deflating sense of self-esteem of victim and thus
lowering their self-worth. It is often manifested as the name-calling, constant criticism,
criticising the relation of victim relation with the children and thus interfering within the victim's
abilities.
Economic abuse
It generally occurs when abuser tries to feel or make victim really financial reliant. The
economic abusers generally seek to influence and have entire control on the financial resources
and thus withhold the access to fund of victim. The abuser also prohibits victim from having
education and going to work.
Psychological abuse
It generally includes the abusers which involves and inculcates a sense of fear via
intimidation and therefore threatens the other individuals to hurt themselves physically. These
type of individuals are abusers as well as victim as they threaten themselves if something goes
against their wish. In this, the person may also threaten to hurt their own children, friends or
family. The main reason behind development of this type of abuse is when the person remain
isolated for his or her loved ones.
Religious violence or abuse
According to (Hester and et.al., 2015), This is type of abuse or violence which is
basically administered and directed under the coercion of relation and mainly involves
harassment and humiliation that might result in the psychological trauma. It may involve the
misuse of the religion for secular, ideological or selfish ends.
Research on domestic abuse against women
As illustrated by (Ali, McGarry and Dhingra 2016), The domestic violence and abuse
against large number of women and girls is mainly common globally across the various cultures,
religions, ethnicity and class. There are generally wide range of reasons behind this domestic
abuse which leads to the serious and extreme health outcomes. It has become prevalent among

females across the whole world especially in the United Kingdom and is mainly associated with
the poor mental as well as physical health. The various acts and the policies which were being
established by the government for reducing its number has somewhat shown its effect but still
most of the women currently are suffering from this are converting into victims. As per the data
which is being collected from large number of journals, magazines, libraries the research mainly
suggests that in every 3 women in United Kingdom suffers from the effect of domestic violence
and thus experience this abuse in the lifetime. According to the data of World health
organization, it has been reported that around 85% of the population which suffers from the
domestic abuse are women and girls. According to the survey of 2018, women which have
completed the age of 24 or who are between the age 20 to 24 are generally at highest risk and are
more vulnerable of converting into the victim of this abuse. Nearly 3 out of the 10 women in UK
that 29% have mainly experienced the rape, stalking as well as physical violence by their partner
and this has impacted their health to a great level. According to the health and safety
administration, around 1 out of 4 women have been the survivor and victim in UK and has
suffered from sever physical violence by their intimate partners.
According to (Stanko 2017), This domestic violence has not only impacted the adult
women but the teenagers have also become prey to this abuse which has deteriorated their
learning capacity and hence affected their mental balance. According to the data in New york
magazine in 2017 where the cases of domestic violence were reported, 9.4% of the high school
girls and college going girls were being hit, slapped as well as physically assaulted purposely by
their boyfriends as well as family members. These girls were between the age of 11 to 17 which
is generally a very young age to go through this violence. These were minors whose PIL in the
courts were generally nullified and the abusers were not given the serious punishment. It has
been reported that more than 35% of the girls which are completing their high school studies
were brutally raped in United kingdom and around 14% are the women who are raped every day
by the abusers.
As not by (Hughes and et.al., 2015), According to the survey of 2018, black women in
UK are 35% likely to experience the domestic abuse in comparison to the white women due to
difference in the cultural values and ethics. Income level also plays a major role in the domestic
abuse and the women who belongs to the household where the income level is less than $7,500
are more likely to become the prey of burning and physical violence as compared to the women

residing in household where income is over $75,000. Talking of the workplace, due to the
orthodox mentality of some men that women should not be allowed to work and should remain
within the boundaries of house more than 33% of the women are reported to commit suicide due
to the physical and mental harassment by their seniors and boss.
Government policies against domestic violence
As illustrated by (García-Moreno and et.al.,2015), domestic violence has become one of
the leading cause due to which the large number of women are committing suicide. It has been
reported around 3 million women every day becomes the prey of domestic violence and most of
them are mainly abused by either their in laws or their husbands. In view of this, the government
of UK has decided to taken action against this violence and reduce its prevalence. The
government has made a huge number of policies against this domestic violence and has applied it
to a great extent. The most important act which is Domestic violence, victim and crime act 2004
is basically the act of parliament of the United Kingdom. The main aim of this act is to provide
justice to women who are suffering from the domestic violence. It is mainly concerned with the
criminal justice as well as concentrate on legal protection of the victims of the crime especially
domestic violence. It expands the provision for the trials without any jury and thus brings the
new rules for the trials for causing death of the child or the vulnerable adult. In the year of 2016
in March, the government of UK announced the latest policy which was on the violence against
large number of women as well as girls.
According to (McCarrick, Davis-McCabe and Hirst-Winthrop 2016), within this policy,
the state and the local government collaborated to provide around £80 million to the support
services in the case of domestic violence. This mainly includes the specific and particular
provision for the Black and the Minority Ethic (BME) women for ensuring that the women as
well as girls who are vulnerable are duly and entirely supported by system. This policy was then
preceded by wide range of initiatives where the main aim was to give the victims the high
protection against any type of abuse or violence like domestic violence. Talking on the
international level, the council of UK mainly adopted convention for prevention and combating
the abuse against women. This was applied to all the women belonging to all the classes whether
lower class or upper class. The most important and the significant policy which the government
of UK came up with on domestic violence was in accordance with the matrimonial proceedings
act 1976. Within this policy, the government decided to provide the support system to those

women and girls which mainly becomes the prey of domestic violence due to the financial
aspects. In this, the government provides the financial support to one of the party and thus helps
the society to have the marriage smoothly. This policy was passed in the year 2016 where the
males and the husbands, were kept under the great pressure to stop domestic violence. This
policy was applied across the whole nation and thus protected the women from harmful effects
of domestic abuse.
As per the view of (Viejo and et.al., 2016), besides this, the central as well as the local
government of United Kingdom came up with the policy to establish the abuse campaign in
collaboration with the MTV and other media sponsors to make to stop domestic violence and
encouraging women and children to speak up against it.
According to the World health organization, the government of United Kingdom implied
a well-through policy on the healthcare institutions and hospitals as well as healthcare
professionals to treat the victims of domestic violence. This policy was applies across all the
cities of UK and was strictly prohibits the doctors and healthcare professions to deny treating the
victims on the basis of their age, sex or caste.
Bills on domestic violence
According to (Oram, Khalifeh and Howard 2017), In order to stop domestic violence and
protect the large number of victims suffering form this abuse, the government of UK came up
with the various bills that were passed by the parliament of UK and was enacted to a large
extent. The central government released the Domestic abuse bill and it was mainly carried out in
the next session and was enacted in October 2019. This bill was commonly referred to as Public
Bill committee. In the year 2017, the government in UK was mainly elected with manifesto
commitment for introducing landmark bill which was domestic abuse bill for transforming the
statutory agencies as well ass justice system. In the year 2018, It received the consent of all the
legislative bodies and thus was announced thoroughly by the parliament. Finally, in the year
2019 in October, it was published on a great platform and was communicated to the general
public. This bill will mainly establish the Domestic violence commissioner for standing up for
the victims as well as survivors and to raise the awareness among public. This bill was also
stressed upon prohibiting the cross-examination in the person within family providing in the
certain circumstances.

As per the view of (Walby and et.al., 2017), the major exciting feature of this bill is that it
will build the statutory presumptions and likelihood that the victims as well as survivors of
domestic violence are primarily eligible for the special measures within criminal courts. This bill
will also extend and enhance extraterritorial jurisdiction of criminal courts within England as
well as Wales and also in the region of Scotland as well as Northern Ireland for stopping the
sexual offences. Thus, this is considered as one of the most important and significant bill which
will eventually reduce the cases and prevalence of domestic abuse in United kingdom according
to many reports. Talking of the application of this bill, the majority provision containing within
this bill applies to the England as well as Wales although some of the provisions also relate to the
various matters within Scotland as well as Northern Ireland.
As illustrated by (Ellsberg and et.al., 2015), besides the Domestic abuse bill, the domestic
abuse protection orders (DVPOs) as well as Domestic abuse protection notices (DVPNs) were
usually introduced by the parliament of UK in accordance with the Crime as well as security act
2010. In this bill as well as orders, the government of UK mainly aimed at filling the gap for
providing justice and protection to the victims and survivors of domestic abuse through allowing
police along with magistrates courts to have the protective measures in place. This is to be done
on the immediate basis aftermath of the domestic abuse incidence where the evidence to charge
perpetrators is insufficient and thus for high security to the victims through bail conditions. The
review for the utilization of this bill and the DVPNs and DVPOs orders was mainly enacted and
enforced across England along with Wales few years after these were rolled-out on the national
level. The bills and orders of DVPOs protected the victims which were the subject to criminal
and domestic violence. These orders were consistently reviewed by the HM Inspectorate as well
as the magistrate of UK parliament and was extend to different regions of UK. Thus, these are
the bills and order which eventually helped the UK government to have a strict legislation
against domestic violence and reduce its rate to a great extent. These bills were not only applied
to women across the nation but was also extended to the children to protect them from having
any mental breakdown.

REFERENCES
Books & Journals
Ali, P., McGarry, J. and Dhingra, K., 2016. Identifying signs of intimate partner violence.
Emergency nurse: the journal of the RCN Accident and Emergency Nursing
Association.23(9). pp.25-29.
Ellsberg, M and et.al., 2015. Prevention of violence against women and girls: what does the
evidence say?. The Lancet.385(9977). pp.1555-1566.
García-Moreno, C and et.al.,2015. Addressing violence against women: a call to action. The
Lancet.385(9978). pp.1685-1695.
Hester, M and et.al., 2015. Occurrence and impact of negative behaviour, including domestic
violence and abuse, in men attending UK primary care health clinics: a cross-sectional
survey. BMJ open. 5(5). p.e007141.
Hughes, C and et.al., 2015. Women's economic inequality and domestic violence: exploring the
links and empowering women. Gender & Development.23(2). pp.279-297.
McCarrick, J., Davis-McCabe, C. and Hirst-Winthrop, S., 2016. Men’s experiences of the
criminal justice system following female perpetrated intimate partner violence. Journal
of family violence.31(2). pp.203-213.
Oram, S., Khalifeh, H. and Howard, L.M., 2017. Violence against women and mental health. The
Lancet Psychiatry. 4(2). pp.159-170.
Salter, M., 2016. ‘Real men don't hit women’: Constructing masculinity in the prevention of
violence against women. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology. 49(4).
pp.463-479.
Stanko, E.A., 2017. Theorizing about violence: Observations from the Economic and Social
Research Council’s violence research program. In Feminist Theories of Crime (pp. 113-
125). Routledge.
Viejo, C and et.al., 2016. Physical dating violence in Spain and the United Kingdom and the
importance of relationship quality. Journal of interpersonal violence.31(8). pp.1453-
1475.
Walby, S and et.al., 2017. The concept and measurement of violence against women and men.
Policy Press.
Woodlock, D., 2017. The abuse of technology in domestic violence and stalking. Violence
against women.23(5). pp.584-602.