Latest news with #MeghanElkin
Daily Mirror
16-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Domestic abuse 'epidemic' as one in four adults have been victims
WARNING - DISTRESSING CONTENT: New figures reveal one in four adults have been been victims of domestic abuse from the age of 16 The UK is suffering a domestic abuse 'epidemic' it has been claimed after new figures reveal one in four adults have been victims. One in four adults in England and Wales are likely to have experienced domestic abuse, according to new research released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The figure is greater for women, at nearly one in three, while for men it is closer to one in five. The estimates taken from the age of 16 are the first to use an improved method for measuring how much domestic abuse there is among the population. A new set of questions has been added to the ONS's Crime Survey for England and Wales. Questions about health abuse and forced marriage are now included. And they reflect recent changes in the law regarding coercive and controlling behaviour. Reacting to the new figures, the UK's leading charity for victims of domestic abuse, Refuge, said it is now an 'epidemic' and warns they are just the 'tip of the iceberg'. Gemma Sherrington, CEO of Refuge, a charity which opened the world's first safe house for women and children in 1971, said: 'We are in an epidemic of violence against women and girls, so sadly, the latest ONS estimates around the prevalence of domestic abuse come as no surprise. 'We welcome improvements to data collection, but these figures are likely to represent the tip of the iceberg as violence against women and girls remains severely under-reported.' The charity said the Government must take urgent action if it is to achieve its pledge to halve violence against women and girls within the next decade. The new ONS research also includes details on economic abuse, when someone deliberately gets a person into debt or prevents them from getting a job. The ONS now estimates that in the year to March 2024, 26.1% of adults - around one in four - had experienced domestic abuse since the age of 16, the equivalent of 12.6 million people. Under the old research this was one in five. The new estimates suggest 30.3% of women and 21.7% of men surveyed in this period had experienced domestic abuse at some point since the age of 16, equivalent to 7.4 million and 5.1 million people respectively. Meghan Elkin, ONS head of crime statistics, said: 'The way domestic abuse manifests is constantly changing and is difficult to measure. In developing these questions, we have listened to victims and survivors of domestic abuse alongside a range of users from charities to academics and other government departments. '...The new approach has resulted in a higher prevalence rate as we have introduced questions to ask about types of abuse not previously covered by the crime survey, such as health abuse and forced marriage.' Health abuse includes anything from depriving a person of food and sleep, to forcing someone to terminate pregnancy. Responding to the findings, Dame Nicole Jacobs, domestic abuse commissioner for England and Wales, said: 'Developing new ways to further our understanding of this terrible crime so we can put in place measures to tackle it and ensure survivors receive the support they need is absolutely vital. 'I welcome the ongoing focus on domestic abuse by the ONS, as only through knowing the full picture will we be able to rid society of it for good.' Women's Aid said they were 'pleased' with the new questions which they helped develop which they point out does not rely on police reports. 'Women's Aid has for many years been concerned that the questions in the survey have failed to adequately capture the lived experience of victim-survivors of domestic abuse.'
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Yahoo
More adults experience domestic abuse than previously thought
Several million more adults have experienced domestic abuse since the age of 16, data shows. One in four adults in England and Wales are likely to have experienced domestic abuse at some point – a higher proportion than previously thought, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The figure is greater for women, at nearly one-in-three, while for men it is closer to one-in-five. The estimates are the first to use an improved method for measuring the prevalence of domestic abuse among the population. A new set of questions have been added to the ONS's long-running Crime Survey for England and Wales to better capture a wider range of abuse types and behaviours. They include questions about health abuse and forced marriage – areas not previously covered by the survey – as well as reflecting recent changes in the law regarding coercive and controlling behaviour. More detail on economic abuse, which can take the form of someone deliberately getting a person into debt or preventing them from getting a job, has also been included. The ONS now estimates that in the year to March 2024, 26.1 per cent of adults – around one in four – had experienced domestic abuse since the age of 16, the equivalent of 12.6 million people. Under the old method, which is not directly comparable with the new survey, the ONS estimated that one in five (20.5 per cent) questioned in the 12 months to March 2024 had experienced abuse since 16. The new estimates suggest 30.3 per cent of women and 21.7 per cent of men surveyed in this period had experienced domestic abuse at some point since the age of 16, equivalent to 7.4 million and 5.1 million people respectively. Meghan Elkin, the ONS head of crime statistics, said: 'The way domestic abuse manifests is constantly changing and is difficult to measure. 'In developing these questions, we have listened to victims and survivors of domestic abuse alongside a range of users from charities to academics and other government departments. 'These new questions are a positive step in better understanding domestic abuse and providing vital information to all those working to improve outcomes and support for victims. 'The new approach has resulted in a higher prevalence rate as we have introduced questions to ask about types of abuse not previously covered by the crime survey, such as health abuse and forced marriage.' Health abuse includes anything from depriving a person of daily essentials, such as food and sleep, to forcing someone to terminate pregnancy or denying someone medical assistance. Marital status-related abuse includes forced marriage and the prevention of marrying someone of your choice. The new figures also suggest that an estimated 8.0 per cent of people aged 16 and over (3.9 million people) surveyed in the year to March 2024 were likely to have experienced some kind of domestic abuse in the previous 12 months, with a higher figure for women (9.5 per cent or 2.3 million) than men (6.5 per cent or 1.5 million). Responding to the findings, Dame Nicole Jacobs, the domestic abuse commissioner for England and Wales, said: 'Domestic abuse has a devastating impact on the millions of lives it touches but for too long the scale of the problem – and its pervasiveness – has remained hidden. 'Developing new ways to further our understanding of this terrible crime so we can put in place measures to tackle it and ensure survivors receive the support they need is absolutely vital. 'I welcome the ongoing focus on domestic abuse by the ONS, as only through knowing the full picture will we be able to rid society of it for good.' Sarika Seshadri, the head of research and evaluation at Women's Aid, said: 'The new questions will provide insight into victim-survivors' experiences of domestic abuse since the age of 16, including detailed profiles of which victim-survivors are experiencing the highest impact and highest harm forms of abuse. 'By understanding not only prevalence but impact, and how this is affecting different groups of the population, we will be able to identify to what extent policies and practice are either reducing or exacerbating experiences of domestic abuse, and in particular for whom, so that we can develop targeted and meaningful interventions.' In developing the new questions, the ONS worked with a consortium led by the Centre for Gender and Violence Research at the University of Bristol, that also involved the College of Policing, the Women's Aid Federation of England, Men's Advice Line, Imkaan and Welsh Women's Aid. While the updated questions are better aligned with the offence of coercive and controlling behaviour, it is not possible to separate out an estimate for victims of this offence, the ONS said. More detailed findings from the new survey will be published later in the year. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
South Wales Argus
16-05-2025
- Health
- South Wales Argus
More adults likely to experience domestic abuse than previously thought
The figure is greater for women, at nearly one in three, while for men it is closer to one in five. The estimates have been produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and are the first to use an improved method for measuring the prevalence of domestic abuse among the population. A new set of questions has been added to the ONS's long-running Crime Survey for England and Wales in order to better capture a wider range of abuse types and behaviours. They include questions about health abuse and forced marriage – areas not previously covered by the survey – as well as reflecting recent changes in the law regarding coercive and controlling behaviour. More detail on economic abuse, which can take the form of someone deliberately getting a person into debt or preventing them from getting a job, has also been included. The ONS now estimates that in the year to March 2024, 26.1% of adults – around one in four – had experienced domestic abuse since the age of 16, the equivalent of 12.6 million people. Under the old method, which is not directly comparable with the new survey, the ONS estimated that one in five (20.5%) questioned in the 12 months to March 2024 had experienced abuse since 16. The new estimates suggest 30.3% of women and 21.7% of men surveyed in this period had experienced domestic abuse at some point since the age of 16, equivalent to 7.4 million and 5.1 million people respectively. Meghan Elkin, ONS head of crime statistics, said: 'The way domestic abuse manifests is constantly changing and is difficult to measure. 'In developing these questions, we have listened to victims and survivors of domestic abuse alongside a range of users from charities to academics and other government departments. 'These new questions are a positive step in better understanding domestic abuse and providing vital information to all those working to improve outcomes and support for victims. 'The new approach has resulted in a higher prevalence rate as we have introduced questions to ask about types of abuse not previously covered by the crime survey, such as health abuse and forced marriage.' Health abuse includes anything from depriving a person of daily essentials, such as food and sleep, to forcing someone to terminate pregnancy or denying someone medical assistance. Marital status-related abuse includes forced marriage and the prevention of marrying someone of your choice. The new figures also suggest that an estimated 8.0% of people aged 16 and over (3.9 million people) surveyed in the year to March 2024 were likely to have experienced some kind of domestic abuse in the previous 12 months, with a higher figure for women (9.5% or 2.3 million) than men (6.5% or 1.5 million). Responding to the findings, Dame Nicole Jacobs, domestic abuse commissioner for England and Wales, said: 'Domestic abuse has a devastating impact on the millions of lives it touches but for too long the scale of the problem – and its pervasiveness – has remained hidden. 'Developing new ways to further our understanding of this terrible crime so we can put in place measures to tackle it and ensure survivors receive the support they need is absolutely vital. 'I welcome the ongoing focus on domestic abuse by the ONS, as only through knowing the full picture will we be able to rid society of it for good.' Sarika Seshadri, head of research and evaluation at Women's Aid, said: 'The new questions will provide insight into victim-survivors' experiences of domestic abuse since the age of 16, including detailed profiles of which victim-survivors are experiencing the highest impact and highest harm forms of abuse 'By understanding not only prevalence but impact, and how this is affecting different groups of the population, we will be able to identify to what extent policies and practice are either reducing or exacerbating experiences of domestic abuse, and in particular for whom, so that we can develop targeted and meaningful interventions.' In developing the new questions, the ONS worked with a consortium led by the Centre for Gender and Violence Research at the University of Bristol, that also involved the College of Policing, the Women's Aid Federation of England, Men's Advice Line, Imkaan and Welsh Women's Aid. While the updated questions are better aligned with the offence of coercive and controlling behaviour, it is not possible to separate out an estimate for victims of this offence, the ONS said. More detailed findings from the new survey will be published later in the year.
North Wales Chronicle
16-05-2025
- Health
- North Wales Chronicle
More adults likely to experience domestic abuse than previously thought
The figure is greater for women, at nearly one in three, while for men it is closer to one in five. The estimates have been produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and are the first to use an improved method for measuring the prevalence of domestic abuse among the population. A new set of questions has been added to the ONS's long-running Crime Survey for England and Wales in order to better capture a wider range of abuse types and behaviours. They include questions about health abuse and forced marriage – areas not previously covered by the survey – as well as reflecting recent changes in the law regarding coercive and controlling behaviour. More detail on economic abuse, which can take the form of someone deliberately getting a person into debt or preventing them from getting a job, has also been included. The ONS now estimates that in the year to March 2024, 26.1% of adults – around one in four – had experienced domestic abuse since the age of 16, the equivalent of 12.6 million people. Under the old method, which is not directly comparable with the new survey, the ONS estimated that one in five (20.5%) questioned in the 12 months to March 2024 had experienced abuse since 16. The new estimates suggest 30.3% of women and 21.7% of men surveyed in this period had experienced domestic abuse at some point since the age of 16, equivalent to 7.4 million and 5.1 million people respectively. Meghan Elkin, ONS head of crime statistics, said: 'The way domestic abuse manifests is constantly changing and is difficult to measure. 'In developing these questions, we have listened to victims and survivors of domestic abuse alongside a range of users from charities to academics and other government departments. 'These new questions are a positive step in better understanding domestic abuse and providing vital information to all those working to improve outcomes and support for victims. 'The new approach has resulted in a higher prevalence rate as we have introduced questions to ask about types of abuse not previously covered by the crime survey, such as health abuse and forced marriage.' Health abuse includes anything from depriving a person of daily essentials, such as food and sleep, to forcing someone to terminate pregnancy or denying someone medical assistance. Marital status-related abuse includes forced marriage and the prevention of marrying someone of your choice. The new figures also suggest that an estimated 8.0% of people aged 16 and over (3.9 million people) surveyed in the year to March 2024 were likely to have experienced some kind of domestic abuse in the previous 12 months, with a higher figure for women (9.5% or 2.3 million) than men (6.5% or 1.5 million). Responding to the findings, Dame Nicole Jacobs, domestic abuse commissioner for England and Wales, said: 'Domestic abuse has a devastating impact on the millions of lives it touches but for too long the scale of the problem – and its pervasiveness – has remained hidden. 'Developing new ways to further our understanding of this terrible crime so we can put in place measures to tackle it and ensure survivors receive the support they need is absolutely vital. 'I welcome the ongoing focus on domestic abuse by the ONS, as only through knowing the full picture will we be able to rid society of it for good.' Sarika Seshadri, head of research and evaluation at Women's Aid, said: 'The new questions will provide insight into victim-survivors' experiences of domestic abuse since the age of 16, including detailed profiles of which victim-survivors are experiencing the highest impact and highest harm forms of abuse 'By understanding not only prevalence but impact, and how this is affecting different groups of the population, we will be able to identify to what extent policies and practice are either reducing or exacerbating experiences of domestic abuse, and in particular for whom, so that we can develop targeted and meaningful interventions.' In developing the new questions, the ONS worked with a consortium led by the Centre for Gender and Violence Research at the University of Bristol, that also involved the College of Policing, the Women's Aid Federation of England, Men's Advice Line, Imkaan and Welsh Women's Aid. While the updated questions are better aligned with the offence of coercive and controlling behaviour, it is not possible to separate out an estimate for victims of this offence, the ONS said. More detailed findings from the new survey will be published later in the year.
Glasgow Times
16-05-2025
- Health
- Glasgow Times
More adults likely to experience domestic abuse than previously thought
The figure is greater for women, at nearly one in three, while for men it is closer to one in five. The estimates have been produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and are the first to use an improved method for measuring the prevalence of domestic abuse among the population. A new set of questions has been added to the ONS's long-running Crime Survey for England and Wales in order to better capture a wider range of abuse types and behaviours. They include questions about health abuse and forced marriage – areas not previously covered by the survey – as well as reflecting recent changes in the law regarding coercive and controlling behaviour. More detail on economic abuse, which can take the form of someone deliberately getting a person into debt or preventing them from getting a job, has also been included. The ONS now estimates that in the year to March 2024, 26.1% of adults – around one in four – had experienced domestic abuse since the age of 16, the equivalent of 12.6 million people. Under the old method, which is not directly comparable with the new survey, the ONS estimated that one in five (20.5%) questioned in the 12 months to March 2024 had experienced abuse since 16. The new estimates suggest 30.3% of women and 21.7% of men surveyed in this period had experienced domestic abuse at some point since the age of 16, equivalent to 7.4 million and 5.1 million people respectively. Meghan Elkin, ONS head of crime statistics, said: 'The way domestic abuse manifests is constantly changing and is difficult to measure. 'In developing these questions, we have listened to victims and survivors of domestic abuse alongside a range of users from charities to academics and other government departments. 'These new questions are a positive step in better understanding domestic abuse and providing vital information to all those working to improve outcomes and support for victims. 'The new approach has resulted in a higher prevalence rate as we have introduced questions to ask about types of abuse not previously covered by the crime survey, such as health abuse and forced marriage.' Health abuse includes anything from depriving a person of daily essentials, such as food and sleep, to forcing someone to terminate pregnancy or denying someone medical assistance. Marital status-related abuse includes forced marriage and the prevention of marrying someone of your choice. The new figures also suggest that an estimated 8.0% of people aged 16 and over (3.9 million people) surveyed in the year to March 2024 were likely to have experienced some kind of domestic abuse in the previous 12 months, with a higher figure for women (9.5% or 2.3 million) than men (6.5% or 1.5 million). Responding to the findings, Dame Nicole Jacobs, domestic abuse commissioner for England and Wales, said: 'Domestic abuse has a devastating impact on the millions of lives it touches but for too long the scale of the problem – and its pervasiveness – has remained hidden. 'Developing new ways to further our understanding of this terrible crime so we can put in place measures to tackle it and ensure survivors receive the support they need is absolutely vital. 'I welcome the ongoing focus on domestic abuse by the ONS, as only through knowing the full picture will we be able to rid society of it for good.' Sarika Seshadri, head of research and evaluation at Women's Aid, said: 'The new questions will provide insight into victim-survivors' experiences of domestic abuse since the age of 16, including detailed profiles of which victim-survivors are experiencing the highest impact and highest harm forms of abuse 'By understanding not only prevalence but impact, and how this is affecting different groups of the population, we will be able to identify to what extent policies and practice are either reducing or exacerbating experiences of domestic abuse, and in particular for whom, so that we can develop targeted and meaningful interventions.' In developing the new questions, the ONS worked with a consortium led by the Centre for Gender and Violence Research at the University of Bristol, that also involved the College of Policing, the Women's Aid Federation of England, Men's Advice Line, Imkaan and Welsh Women's Aid. While the updated questions are better aligned with the offence of coercive and controlling behaviour, it is not possible to separate out an estimate for victims of this offence, the ONS said. More detailed findings from the new survey will be published later in the year.
