Meeting of the Parliament 15 September 2016
I welcome the proposed legislation and believe that it is a huge step on the way to tackling the true nature of domestic abuse. As many other members have said, domestic abuse is traditionally thought of as involving physical violence. However, non-physical forms of abuse including emotional abuse, controlling behaviour and coercive behaviour can have deeply damaging impacts on families. As the cabinet secretary said, until now it has been considered to be difficult to prosecute people who commit those types of behaviour, which has meant that abusers are often not brought to justice. With the bill, victims will be much more likely to have their voices heard by the justice system and perpetrators will no longer find it possible to slip through the net.
The investment of £20 million between 2015 and 2018 is vital in ensuring that people who suffer from all forms of domestic abuse are given the support that is needed. I have witnessed initiatives such as the change programme in South Lanarkshire proving to be very effective and making a difference to victims, perpetrators and families. The extra investment has also provided additional community-based sentencing options to the courts, and has helped to make it clear that no form of domestic violence will be tolerated.
With the changes in law and the new support that is being given to the police and prosecutors, the Government will be helping to change the lives of many women and children who have been living with abuse for a long time. About 60,000 instances of abuse are reported to the police each year—a figure that we have already heard—and 79 per cent of those instances involve a female victim and a male perpetrator. Although many women and children who experience domestic abuse now report instances of abuse to the police or access the services of brilliant organisations such as Women’s Aid, ending violence and abuse, or EVA, services or the ASSIST—advocacy, support, safety and information services together—project, many do not feel that they are in a position to do that and so continue to suffer in silence, often with highly damaging and tragic consequences.
Currently, Women’s Aid in Scotland deals with somewhere in the region of 25,000 new cases a year of women, children and young people being in need of support after experiencing domestic abuse. That breaks down to about 475 new cases each week, which shows both the prevalence and the extent of the impact of domestic abuse on so many lives. Let us stop to think about that for a wee second: 475 women who had not previously identified themselves are approaching that one charity every week to seek support. That is a startling figure and another reason why I welcome the proposed legislation.
Earlier this week, we had a debate about the Government’s pledge to build 50,000 new affordable and social homes. That is a much-needed commitment, because many people experience homelessness. I mention that because almost three quarters of people who declare themselves to be homeless are women, and the third most common reason for homelessness applications in Scotland is violent or abusive disputes in the household. From my experience as a social worker, I know that many women and children risk a lot just by leaving. They often become homeless, lose their possessions and suffer financial destitution in a bid to escape the everyday terror of their abusers.
Although the figure of 79 per cent shows that the overwhelming number of victims are women, it is important that we take the time to recognise—as other members have done—that men can also be victims of domestic abuse. Figures from the male domestic abuse support service, which is part of the Edinburgh-based organisation Abused Men in Scotland, show an increase in the number of men who have sought support over the past two years. In my area, North Lanarkshire, the number of men seeking support has almost doubled in the past 12 months. However, it is worth noting that male victims are even less likely than female victims to seek support, so I encourage more investment in raising awareness in that regard.
I recently visited Monklands Women’s Aid to learn more about the work that it does in my constituency to support women and children whose lives have been affected by domestic abuse. While I was there, I met victims of domestic abuse, including some who had used the three refuge centres in Coatbridge, and heard of the horror of their experiences and the continuing support that Monklands Women’s Aid seeks to provide. Many women were not initially aware that they were victims of abuse, due to the controlling and isolating actions of their partners, so I welcome the fact that the new offence will provide clarity for victims that what is happening to them is a criminal act.
When we discuss domestic abuse, we forget that there are other victims in the household, although it has been mentioned in the debate. When an adult suffers at the hands of his or her partner, the children of the relationship suffer also. Even simply witnessing physical or mental abuse of a parent can have a long-term negative impact. Many children who are in that position are referred to the children’s reporter or to social work, and may even be subject to child protection regulation. In my time as a social worker, I worked with many families in which the children had experienced domestic abuse.
Although good progress has been made, it is clear that there is more to be done to change the perceptions of what constitutes domestic violence. Psychological abuse—the exertion of control over all aspects of a partner’s day-to-day life—is completely unacceptable, so I welcome the proposals to ensure that it will be a criminal offence.
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