Broader definition of domestic violence fails to go far enough

Notes to Editors

4Children

4Children is the national charity all about children and families. We have spearheaded a joined-up, integrated approach to children’s services and work with a wide range of partners around the country to ensure children and families have access to the services and support they need in their communities. We run Sure Start Children’s Centres as well as family and youth services across Britain.

We develop, influence and shape national policy on all aspects of the lives of children, young people and families. As the Government’s strategic partner for early years and childcare we have a crucial role in co-producing policy with the Department of Education and representing the sector’s views and experiences. Our national campaigns, like Give Me Strength, change policy and practice and put the needs of children and families on the political and policy agenda.

For more information visit www.4children.org.uk

The Enemy Within

4Children sent Freedom of Information request to all Local Authorities in the United Kingdom between January and March. 146 out of 153 responded.

Responses indicated:

• 65% of local authorities had a current domestic violence strategy in place;
• 82% had a series of domestic violence partnerships, including key players such as health care workers, children’s centres and schools;
• 11% of local authorities lacked a strategy entirely;
• 16% had a strategy that had either expired or was still in draft form;
• 18% did not have a functioning partnership of any kind in place.
4Children sent Freedom of Information request to all police forces in the United Kingdom between January and March. 45 out of 52 responded.

Responses indicated:

    16% still did not have a domestic violence strategy in place;

    4% had a strategy that was under review of in draft.

4Children’s Family Violence survey: the findings

YouGov carried out a poll of  1,018 parents of children 18 and under who were willing to take part on behalf of 4Children in February 2012.Fieldwork was undertaken between 14th - 17th February 2012.  The survey was carried out online.

The survey found that:

• 52% of all parents with children under 18 experience serious or frequent conflict in their family
• 21% of all parent with children under 18 have serious or frequent conflicts over financial worries or debt
• 20% of all parents with children under 18 have frequent or serious arguments with teenage children

Conflict expectations

• 40% of respondents felt that making another person feel stupid happened occasionally in typical families
• 18% felt that physical fighting without injuries happened occasionally in typical families
• 17% felt that threatening or intimidating behaviour happened occasionally in typical families
• 8% felt that physical fighting with injuries happened occasionally in typical families
• 3% felt that unwanted sexual acts happened occasionally in typical families

Conflict experiences (based on 943 respondents who ever had conflicts in their family)

• 29% of respondents said verbally insults ever happened during family conflicts
• 21% said someone had been made to feel stupid during family conflict
• 9% said possessions had been destroyed during family conflict
• 10% said physical fights ever happened during family conflict, almost one third of which said involved injury (3%)
• 2% said unwanted sexual acts had happened during family conflict

Help and support (based on 157 respondents who had sought help for conflicts in their family)

• 23% would have liked more information about parenting teenage children and children with behaviour problems
• 20% would have liked someone safe to talk to about what was happening in their family (conflicts/arguments/violence) without fear of losing their children
• 17% would have liked more relationship counselling advice for both themselves and their partner

Recommendations

1. As a result of the report’s findings, 4Children has proposed a raft of recommendations which would all help to address the gaps in the system to support families experiencing violence in the UK;
2. Reshape the definition of violence within families;
3. Definitions of domestic violence should be expanded in all statutory services to fully encapsulate family violence;
4. Make family violence a high priority locally and nationally;
5. Make family violence a key interdepartmental priority for national government and for local authorities’ new health and wellbeing boards, to ensure that families receive the joined up support they need;
6. Introduce a ‘whole family approach’ to responding to family violence;
7. From contact with the police to support from family workers, to ensure that the whole family is strengthened and has the support they need to overcome their problems;
8. Raise awareness among professionals;
9. To ensure that victims of family violence can receive the support they need at the earliest opportunity, and that opportunities for intervention are not missed;
10. Recognise the impact of family violence in national initiatives to strengthen families and turn around crisis;
11. Make family violence a national or local measurement in the payment by results criteria for turning around 120,000 troubled families;
12. Move to an early intervention approach to prevent family violence and crisis:
• Government lead to mainstream good practice;
• Local public bodies to fund joined up early intervention;
• Up-skill professionals to respond early;
• Set up a national network of family violence projects;
• Stronger therapeutic support services for children and families in crisis.

£3.1 billion cost to the taxpayer based on findings in S. Wallby, The Cost of Domestic Violence, Womens Equity Unit, University of Leeds, 2004.

An estimated 79% of the 120,000 troubled families that the Prime Minister has pledged to turn around experience family violence in some areas (This figure refers to the London Borough of Croydon). Sibling and child violence is experienced by 44% of families with the most complex problems in Croydon.  The new Family Violence Programme is working closely with these families through therapeutic support to reduce violence and conflict,

Give Me Strength http://www.givemestrength.org.uk/

4Children’s current national campaign, Give Me Strength, demands more help for families to avert crises. Every year 28,000 children go into care in England. Millions more have their chances of success in later life diminished by growing up in families facing serious and multiple challenges with little or no practical help. Yet research shows us that these crises can often be prevented if the right help is available at the right time. Families tell us that this means early help as problems develop and before crisis sets in.

About 4Children www.4Children.org.uk

4Children is the national charity all about children and families. We have spearheaded a joined-up, integrated approach to children’s services and work with a wide range of partners around the country to ensure children and families have access to the services and support they need in their communities. We run Sure Start Children’s Centres as well as family and youth services across Britain.

We develop, influence and shape national policy on all aspects of the lives of children, young people and families.  As the Government’s strategic partner for early years and childcare we have a crucial role in co-producing policy with the Department of Education and representing the sector’s views and experiences.  Our national campaigns, like Give Me Strength, change policy and practice and put the needs of children and families on the political and policy agenda.

For further information please contact Ilana Rapaport (020 755 6928/07917870641/ ilana.rapaport@4children.org.uk) or William Staynes (07917542464/ William.Staynes@4children.org.uk)