VAWDASV

  1. Population Assessment
  2. VAWDASV

Violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence

Please note: The data in “demographics and trends” has been recently updated in preparation for the population assessment update taking place over the next year. The remainder of this page will be updated when the population assessment is published on 1 April 2022.

Overview and key messages

  • Violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence (VAWDASV) is a fundamental violation of human rights, a cause and consequence of inequality and has far reaching consequences for families, children and society as a whole (Welsh Government, 2016)
  • Domestic Abuse costs Wales £303.5m annually. This includes £202.6m in service costs and £100.9m to lost economic output. If the emotional and human cost is factored in there are added costs of £522.9m (Walby, 2009 cited in Welsh Women’s Aid, n.d)
  • The cost, in both human and economic terms, is so significant that marginally effective interventions are cost effective (Welsh Government, 2016)
  • New requirements under the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, the SSWB Act, and Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Act, 2015 impact this area and are likely to increase the number of cases of domestic abuse identified
  • Improving partnership responses to survivors could reduce the levels of need for specialist services

Demographics and trends

VAWDASV includes domestic abuse, sexual violence, forced marriage, female genital mutilation (FGM), ‘honour-based violence’, sexual exploitation, trafficking and child sexual abuse. This can happen in any relationship regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, disability, income, geography or lifestyle (Welsh Government, 2016).
  • Data shows that there were 376 domestic abuse offences a year in Pembrokeshire (225 towards females, 151 towards males), 248 in Ceredigion (187 towards females, 61 towards males), and 45 in Carmarthenshire (35 towards females, 10 towards males).
  • Data shows that there were 289 psychological abuse offences in Ceredigion (203 towards females, 86 towards males), 260 in Carmarthenshire (163 towards women, 97 towards males), and 238 in Pembrokeshire (160 towards females, 78 towards males).
  • Data shows that there were 218 financial abuse cases in Carmarthenshire (131 towards females, 87 towards males), 171 in Ceredigion (99 towards females, 72 towards males), and 107 in Pembrokeshire (70 towards females, 37 towards males).
  • Data shows that there were 361 cases of neglect towards adults in Carmarthenshire (249 towards those aged 65 and over, 112 to adults 18-64), 283 in Ceredigion (192 towards those aged 65 and over, 91 to adults 18-64), and 194 in Pembrokeshire, (150 towards those aged 65 and over, 44 to adults 18-64).
  • Data shows that there were 327 physical abuse cases in Carmarthenshire (204 towards females, 123 towards males), 260 in Ceredigion (165 towards females, 95 towards males), and 126 in Pembrokeshire (75 towards females, 51 towards males).
  • Data shows that there were two reported alleged offences of racial abuse towards adults in Carmarthenshire, and one in Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.

Current and future care and support needs

The Violence Against Women, Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse Act, 2015 makes it clear that partners including Local Authorities, Local Health Boards, NHS Trusts, Fire and Rescue Authorities, Police, Police and Crime Commissioners, education services, housing organisations, the third sector, specialist services, survivors, crime and justice agencies, and probation services need to work together to:

  • Prevent violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence
  • Protect victims of violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence
  • Support people affected by violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence

“targeted action and support to overcome barriers to accessing safety and support. Women who are known to be especially vulnerable to violence and/or who are marginalised, such as women in prostitution, women from BME communities, disabled women, women with mental health or substance abuse problems, young women in care, will require specialised approaches”

The National Strategy (Welsh Government, 2016)

 

Current Care and Support Provision

Welsh Government contracted with Hafan Cymru in 2015 to provide awareness-raising in primary and secondary schools across all schools in Wales through the SPECTRUM Project. This aims to assist with children having access to dedicated sessions around healthy relationships. Discussions are ongoing regarding how this contract can be enhanced to further support the guidance. In addition to this each county’s specialist support providers provide awareness raising sessions in schools and youth settings.

Community campaigns are coordinated during the year to improve the community’s understanding of abuse and the support that is available. Domestic Abuse Coordinators, specialist services and partners also utilise opportunities to raise awareness in community settings.

A mandatory National Training Framework is in place with training modules currently under development to ensure that staff are training appropriately for their level of involvement and are able to target enquiry and act appropriately where abuse or violence is disclosed. Training has also been arranged for Health Board staff in Domestic Abuse, Risk Assessment and MARAC training and Domestic Abuse and the Older Person. Carmarthenshire has a dedicated Domestic Abuse social worker in its children’s team and Ceredigion has a part-time mediator funded through Flying Start and Families First

Gaps and Areas for Improvement

  • Raising the profile and public understanding of violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence, including among vulnerable groups such as Black and Ethnic Minorities, disabled people, the LGBT community, older people, refugees and migrants
  • Embedding good practices around identification, information, consultation and integration of other related services
  • Earlier identification of violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence
  • Enhancing education about healthy relationships and gender equality
  • Ensuring professionals are trained to provide consistent effective, timely and appropriate responses to victims and survivors
  • Provide victims with equal access to appropriately resourced, consistent high quality, needs led, strength based, gender responsive services
  • Developing community-based, user-led, co-produced services that prevent isolation and promote well-being and resilience
  • Increasing survivor engagement in the planning, delivery and monitoring of services
  • Developing and implementing an integrated pathway for all forms of violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence
  • Increased focus on perpetrators, holding them to account for their actions and providing opportunities, through intervention and support, to change their behaviour