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Safe Newcastle Domestic Violence Strategy - Newcastle City Council

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5. Context of<br />

<strong>Domestic</strong> <strong>Violence</strong> and<br />

Abuse in <strong>Newcastle</strong><br />

5.1 The <strong>City</strong> of <strong>Newcastle</strong> upon Tyne<br />

<strong>Newcastle</strong> serves as the regional capital for a<br />

population of over two million people across North<br />

East England. <strong>Newcastle</strong> is also a local authority<br />

serving 266,000 people within its administrative<br />

boundary.<br />

<strong>Newcastle</strong> is a city of influence that exhibits the<br />

diversity of the region. It includes a lively city<br />

centre that provides entertainment, employment<br />

and commerce for people throughout the North<br />

East and visitors from around the country and<br />

beyond. The residents are diverse with affluent<br />

rural and semi-rural areas to the north and west<br />

and areas of significant deprivation in the east and<br />

inner west. Minority ethnic communities make up<br />

6.9 percent of the population. This proportion is<br />

higher among young people from minority ethnic<br />

groups who make up 10 percent of the school<br />

population.<br />

In the decade between 1991 and 2001 the<br />

population of <strong>Newcastle</strong> decreased by 5.6<br />

percent. The rate of decline peaked at an<br />

approximate loss of 1,900 people each year over<br />

the last five years of the decade. However, since<br />

2001 the indications are that population loss has<br />

stabilized with the latest mid-year estimates<br />

indicating a modest growth in population. More<br />

than two-fifths of the population live in the twelve<br />

wards that are among the 10 percent most<br />

deprived wards nationally and five wards are in<br />

the 1 percent most deprived. Falling population<br />

is both a symptom and a cause of <strong>Newcastle</strong>’s<br />

problems. In affluent areas of <strong>Newcastle</strong> there is<br />

a severe housing shortage and high house prices.<br />

This contrasts with large numbers of empty<br />

houses, high levels of long-term unemployment<br />

and low levels of educational attainment in the east<br />

and inner west areas.<br />

Life expectancy figures are below the national<br />

average with male life expectancy in 2001 being<br />

73.7 (England and Wales average 76) and female<br />

being 79.1 (England and Wales average 80.6).<br />

22 percent of people in <strong>Newcastle</strong> live with a long<br />

term limiting illness, as opposed to an England and<br />

Wales average of 18 percent. Teenage pregnancy<br />

rates are also 16.1 points higher than the England<br />

and Wales average – 59.9 per 1000; 15 to 17 year<br />

olds in <strong>Newcastle</strong>.<br />

Educational attainment overall is lower than the<br />

national average with nearly a third of <strong>Newcastle</strong><br />

people having no qualifications, however progress<br />

is being made in this area and recent performance<br />

shows an encouraging uplift in attainment levels.<br />

0 <strong>Newcastle</strong> <strong>Domestic</strong> <strong>Violence</strong> And Abuse <strong>Strategy</strong>

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