Together We Can End Violence Against Women and Girls: a Strategy
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TOGETHER WE CAN END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS: A STRATEGY © Crown Copyright. Produced by the Home Office, November 2009. Ref: 299648. ISBN: 978-1-84987-113-6 Contents Foreword 3 Executive summary 4 Chapter 1 Background and introduction 12 Chapter 2 Prevention 20 Chapter 3 Provision 36 Chapter 4 Protection 58 Chapter 5 Holding us to account 78 Annexes A Summary of key actions 80 B Key messages from the consultation 88 C Achievements and actions to date 96 D Glossary of terms 100 Contents 1 Foreword Violence against women and I am indebted to colleagues across girls can have a devastating government for their support in putting this effect on individuals and the strategy together. Far more importantly, communities in which they however, we are all indebted to the live. It ruins lives, breaks apart organisations and individuals who families and has an impact responded to the recent consultation across the generations. which is the basis of these proposals. In particular I would like to thank the Much has been done over women and girls who shared their own recent years to increase experiences of violence with us. Their protection for women and to testimonies are woven through this punish their attackers. New strategy and show clearly how much legislation, extra resources more still needs to be done. and frontline training have made a real difference. But the complexity of the When the consultation was launched problem and its far-reaching effects demand in March 2009, our aim was to create a a broader response. This strategy represents national debate engaging all parts of society a cross-government commitment to in the task of eliminating violence against address the issue. It includes proposals women and girls. Around 10,000 people from departments dealing with health engaged with the consultation including and education, housing and defence, local hundreds who attended events across the government and transport, as well as country to share their thoughts and ideas. from across the criminal justice system. It This strategy document is a joint effort looks at the role of local as well as central by the public and politicians to address an government with proposals for more enduring social problem. Together, we can integrated ways of organising services on end violence against women and girls. the ground, and it recognises the invaluable and pioneering role played in developing support services by specialists in the voluntary sector. Alan Johnson MP, Home Secretary Foreword 3 Executive summary 1. Addressing violence against women children’s services, education and housing. and girls (VAWG) is a challenge for us all. All government departments and local It remains a key barrier to realising our agencies therefore have a role to play. vision of a society in which women and girls feel safe and confident in their homes and 3. A number of initiatives over the last communities. The ‘snapshot’ data we have decade have made a real difference, from individual studies reveals a shocking but many of these have focused only on picture. In overall terms, around half of specific offences. These distinctions can all women and girls in England and Wales create artificial barriers. For example many could recall being victims of violence over women suffer both domestic and sexual their lifetime.1 abuse in the same relationship. Although the Government has published a number of separate plans in recent years for dealing Nearly 1 million women experience • with different problems, so far these have at least one incident of domestic not been brought together in one place. abuse each year (British Crime Survey (BCS) self-completion 4. What is needed therefore is a questionnaire, 2007/08). co-ordinated approach to combating all • Close to 10,000 women are forms of VAWG. This strategy represents sexually assaulted every week (BCS our integrated approach to tackling this self-completion questionnaire, problem and supporting its victims across July 2008). the three key areas of prevention, provision and protection. • At least 750,000 children a year witness domestic violence 5. It draws on the outcomes of one (Department of Health, 2002). of the largest public consultations ever undertaken on this issue. Over the course of three months, more than 300 victims 2. VAWG has a significant impact on the of violence participated in 24 focus groups criminal justice system (CJS) although many undertaken for us by the Women’s cases never reach the CJS. The effects National Commission (WNC). Around of VAWG go far wider than the criminal 9,000 responses to the consultation justice consequences, impacting on a wide were received by email or in the form of range of other areas including health, written responses and completed surveys. 1 Walby, S. and Allen, J. Domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking: Findings from the British Crime Survey, 2004, Home Office Research Study 276. 4 TOGETHER WE CAN END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS: A STRATEGY Between them, Ministers and officials met few months and will further develop the over 700 frontline experts in every region proposals set out in this strategy. Reviews of England and Wales and visited almost have also been undertaken into legal 40 towns and cities to talk directly with powers to control serial perpetrators, the public. There are further details of the led by Chief Constable Brian Moore; the consultation at Annex B and in a separate sexualisation of young people, conducted report from the WNC. by Dr Linda Papadopoulos; and the experience rape victims have of the 6. The strategy also draws on the initial criminal justice system (Victims’ Experience outputs of a number of more detailed Review), led by Sara Payne. reviews, including the Health Taskforce examining the NHS response to VAWG, 7. Unless otherwise stated, the quotes led by Professor Sir George Alberti, a used throughout the strategy are taken Department for Children, Schools and from the responses to the consultation and Families Violence Against Women and Girls Sara Payne’s Victims’ Experience Review. Advisory Group on the role of schools in preventing VAWG, and Baroness Stern’s 8. A complete list of the actions included review into the response of the CJS and in this strategy is presented in Annex A other agencies to rape complaints. Each (some of the key actions are listed below). of these reviews will report over the next Protection – delivering an effective criminal justice system: Investigation; prosecution; victim support and protection; perpetrator programmes Provision – helping women and girls to continue with their lives: Effective provision of services, advice and support; emergency and acute services; refuges and safe accommodation Prevention – changing attitudes and preventing violence: Awareness-raising campaigns; safeguarding and educating children and young people; early identification/intervention and training Executive summary 5 Prevention Promoting healthy relationships throUGH SCHOOLS 9. Traditionally, government effort has 12. Schools and colleges have a crucial been concentrated on providing support role to play in helping children and young services once women have been victimised. people to develop healthy relationships, This strategy outlines our plans to deal with their emotions and challenge the campaign actively to challenge attitudes way in which some men and boys behave around violence; to promote healthy towards women and girls. What is taught in relationships by working with young people the classroom, and the way a school deals in schools and with adults; and to support with bullying and inappropriate behaviour, training in the early identification of abuse. can all have an important impact. CHANGING attitUDES, RAISING awareness 13. There was a strong feeling from the 10. A number of myths and stereotypes consultation that all children should be about VAWG contribute to perpetuating taught about VAWG and that all schools, the problem. There was widespread including faith and primary schools, should support in our consultation exercise for be involved. a national communications campaign to raise awareness of VAWG more effectively. Early identification AND professional Respondents also felt that the sexualisation TRAINING of popular culture and the ubiquity of 14. Intervening early to prevent violence sexualised imagery of women and girls can protect victims from immediate were a problem. These concerns are being harm and have other, indirect positive examined as part of an independent review consequences, such as reducing the of the sexualisation of young people by Dr number of people requiring treatment for Linda Papadopoulos. Her report will be mental ill health, the incidence of family published in January 2010. breakdown and the number of looked-after and missing children. 11. Men have a crucial role to play in challenging VAWG. Most men and teenage 15. A clear message from our consultation boys are not violent towards their partners was that frontline professionals need more and would condemn those who are. Our support with this work, including training prevention strategy will emphasise the that focuses on identifying and managing part all men can and should play in taking a risk, and on making it clear to all women stand against violence. and children that they will be supported if they disclose violence. 6 TOGETHER WE CAN END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS: A STRATEGY ACTION Provision Key actions on prevention include: 16. Our ideal remains to prevent VAWG. • developing a national communications However, when women and girls do suffer strategy designed to address attitudes violence, we need to ensure they have towards VAWG among all members access to the right help. Public authorities of the public; should consider whether they need to address VAWG as part of their approach • as part of a national communications to gender equality when drawing up their strategy, launching a campaign in gender equality scheme and action plans. early 2010 targeting violence within teenagers’ relationships run by the 17.