October 2021 Parenta magazine

Domestic Violence
Awareness Month
It’s hard to imagine but in this day and age, there are still two women each week who are killed
by a partner or former partner in England and Wales. In the Northeast, the area with the highest
recorded rate of domestic abuse, there are an average of 253 incidents every day. Over the course
of the pandemic, cases of domestic abuse have increased globally by approximately 20% as many
women have been trapped at home with their abusers with no escape. But it’s not just women
who are victims; many men can be victims too, and in the UK, three quarters of a million children
witness domestic abuse each year, which itself can be a form of emotional abuse on the child.
Children are also affected by
domestic violence
Whilst we can understand that physical
or sexual abuse can severely affect the
physical and mental health of the victim,
we need to also understand the effect that
domestic violence can have on any children
living under the same roof. They can react
in many different ways, for example, they
may:
• Feel frightened, insecure or confused a
lot of the time
• Keep their feelings to themselves
• Struggle to cope with their emotion
or experience emotional outbursts
themselves
• Become withdrawn and socially
isolated
Children who witness domestic violence are
themselves victims of a type of emotional
abuse and need our help to safeguard
them too. All children who experience
domestic abuse will be living under high
levels of stress for much of the day and
these adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)
can impact on their own behaviour and
well-being. As nursery professionals, we
should be trained to look out for changes
in behaviour as part of our safeguarding
training and to report any concerns to our
DSL (Designated Safeguarding Lead).
Some of the behavioural aspects you may
notice in children can include:
Help is available
In 2020, the Home Secretary announced a
new campaign to tackle domestic abuse
and provided an additional £2 million to
help support domestic abuse helplines and
online support in response to increased
demand. They set up the Refuge helplines
and website where people can find out
more about help services. There is also
a free-phone 24-hour National Domestic
Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247. The
campaign uses the hashtag #YouAreNot
Alone, aiming to reassure victims that help
will be available when they need it.
2. Raise awareness of the issue of
domestic abuse within your setting or
community by joining in a campaign or
setting up your own event
3. Raise money for a related charity or
helpline so that more people can
receive support
4. Collect and donate goods and toys to a
local women’s/men’s refuge
5. Be sensitive to any child, adolescent
or adult you know who may have
experienced domestic abuse in the
past
Each year, October is internationally
recognised as Domestic Violence
Awareness Month. It began in the USA
in 1981 and aims to raise awareness of
the problem and highlight the help and
support that are available to victims,
women and men. Domestic violence is
a problem that affects people from all
religions, races, culture and status, which
is why it is so important to highlight the
issues.
What is domestic violence?
Domestic abuse/violence is defined
as a “systematic pattern of behaviour
on the part of the abuser designed to
control his or her partner.” Anyone who is
forced to change their behaviour, or who
changes their behaviour because they are
frightened of their partner or ex-partner’s
reaction, is experiencing abuse. The abuse
can take many different forms and can
happen to anyone regardless of gender,
sexuality, religion or status, although, it is
also important to acknowledge that most
domestic abuse is carried out by men and
is experienced by women.
Physical violence is often the first type of
domestic abuse that people think of, but
domestic abuse can also be emotional,
psychological, financial or sexual and it
can start at any stage of a relationship.
Domestic violence is also rarely a one-off
event, and many victims report incidents
becoming more frequent and more
severe over time. What’s also important
to remember is that domestic abuse and
domestic violence are illegal, and they are
never the fault of the victim, who will often
need a lot of support, understanding and
a safe place to live in order to escape the
bonds of a violent domestic situation.
Domestic abuse is associated with
anxiety, depression, substance misuse
and PTSD, and studies suggest that
women experiencing domestic abuse
are more likely to suffer from a mental
health condition; and women with a
mental health condition, are more likely to
experience domestic abuse.
• Bullying or aggressive behaviours
• Tantrums
• Speech problems or difficulties with
learning
• Inability to concentrate
• Attention-seeking behaviours
• Nightmares or difficulty sleeping
• Bed-wetting
• Extended periods of illness
• Anxiety and depression
• Irrational fears
• Withdrawal
Some people mistakenly believe that all
children who experience domestic violence
will themselves grow up to be perpetrators
or victims later in life, but this is not true.
With love and support, a lot of children can
transcend these early experiences and lead
happy and fulfilled lives as adults. Others
may need more sustained or specialist
support over a number of years.
What is less well known, is the time that
it takes for victims to come forward.
According to the charity SafeLives, highrisk
survivors live with domestic abuse
for over 2 years before getting help, and
medium-risk survivors for 3 years. They
report that on average, people experience
a staggering 50 incidents of abuse before
seeking effective help.
How can you help in your
setting?
There are a few ways that you can help
in your setting, which fall under different
categories of support.
1. Be alert to the signs and symptoms
that children, parents or even staff
members may be experiencing
domestic abuse, and offer them
guidance and support, referring any
safeguarding concerns to your DSL
immediately
Remember, if you think or know someone is
being abused, it is better to speak up than
say nothing. If you are wrong, then there’s
no harm done, but if you are right, you
could save someone’s life.
Help and support
Freephone 24-hour National Domestic
Abuse Helpline: 0808 2000 247
or visit www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk
(access live chat Mon-Fri 3-10pm)
https://domesticviolenceuk.org/
https://safelives.org.uk/
12 October 2021 | parenta.com
parenta.com | October 2021 13