Public Health England: Recent Episodes
Public Health England
Recording of the launch teleconference for the Health Matters edition on taking a whole systems approach to obesity.
Read the full content at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-matters-whole-systems-approach-to-obesity/health-matters-whole-systems-approach-to-obesity
The webinar presents an overview for partnerships of local authorities and clinical commissioning groups that are interested in submitting an expression of interest to access Public Health England’s ‘Rough Sleeping Grant: Testing Community Based Models of Access to Health Services’.
£1.9m is available to test models that improve access to health services for people who are sleeping rough and who have co-occurring mental ill-health and substance misuse problems. Closing date for expressions of interest is Friday 5th July. Speakers are: Rebecca Green – homeless programme manager (Public Health England) Jez Stannard – senior programme manager (Public Health England) Gill Leng - health and homelessness adviser (jointly Department of Health and Social Care and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government) Tom Johnson – mental health delivery team project manager (NHS England) Mark Atkinson – senior finance manager (Public Health England)
Recording of the launch teleconference of this edition of Health Matters.
Publication: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/health-matters-public-health-issues#stopping-smoking
Recording of the launch teleconference of this edition.
Publication: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/health-matters-public-health-issues#health-and-work
Recording of this Health Matters launch teleconference.
See publication: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/health-matters-public-health-issues#cardiovascular-disease-prevention
Recording of launch teleconference on 'Identifying and offering brief advice to tobacco and alcohol users'.
Publication: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-matters-preventing-ill-health-from-alcohol-and-tobacco
Recording of the Question and Answer launch teleconference.
Publication: Health Matters: Reducing health inequalities in mental illness
Recording of the launch teleconference on Health Economics: making the most of your budget.
Recording of Health Matters launch teleconference on Reproductive health and pregnancy planning
Recording of Health Matters launch teleconference on Community-centred approaches for health and wellbeing
Recording of Health Matters launch teleconference on Using the NHS Health Check programme to prevent CVD
Recording of Health Matters launch teleconference on Productive healthy ageing and musculoskeletal health
Recording of Health Matters launch teleconference on preventing infections and reducing amtimicrobial resistance
Launch presentation of the Health Matters edition on tobacco standard packs - seizing the moment to support smokers to quit
Question and Answer session from the launch of Health Matters: getting every adult active everyday.
Launch presentation of the Health Matters edition on getting every adult active every day.
Duncan Selbie, Chief Executive of Public Health England, hosts a telephone conference session to launch the latest edition of Health matters.
Duncan Selbie, Chief Executive of Public Health England, hosts a question and answer session with medical experts.
Duncan Selbie, Chief Executive of Public Health England, hosts a teleconference to launch this edition of Health Matters
As flooding begins to subside in some areas of the country PHE has produced a pair of ads containing key messages on how people can stay safe and well while cleaning up. This ad highlights the danger posed by carbon monoxide fumes from the indoor use of generators to dry out buildings.
Transcript: This is an important message for those of you affected by flooding
As the water subsides and you start to think about cleaning up, make sure you stay safe
Don’t turn on gas or electrics until they’ve been checked by a qualified technician
When you can, keep windows open for good ventilation and faster drying
And never use petrol or diesel generators inside – the exhaust gases contain carbon monoxide which can kill
Visit gov.uk/phe for more tips on cleaning up safely
This was brought to you by Public Health England
As flooding begins to subside in some areas of the country PHE has produced a pair of ads containing key messages on how people can stay safe and well while cleaning up. This ad explains simple precautions that can be taken to reduce the risk of illness when cleaning up.
Transcript: This is an important message for those of you affected by flooding
As the water subsides and you start to think about cleaning up, take some simple steps to stay well
Wear the right clothing – rubber boots and waterproof gloves
Clean walls, floors and worktops with hot water and detergent and disinfect all kitchen utensils before using them
And always thoroughly wash your hands with warm soapy water after each clean-up session
Visit gov.uk/phe for more tips on cleaning up safely
This was brought to you by Public Health England
flooding
In our final podcast on domestic violence, Director of the Corporate Alliance Against Domestic Violence Melissa Morebeck talks about the types of help workplaces can offer to those experiencing domestic abuse.
Transcript To be supplied
domesticviolence #publichealth
Phil Price, Programme Manager at the Domestic Violence Intervention Project (DVIP) talks about his experience working with domestic violence perpetrators. Transcript To be supplied
domesticviolence #publichealth
Domestic violence doesn't just affect adults - children and young people in violent households are also at great risk. Deborah Jamieson, CEO of The Global Foundation For The Elimination Of Domestic Violence, outlines what can be done for this vulnerable group. Transcript To be supplied
domesticviolence #publichealth #childhealth
There are many third sector organisations with a focus on domestic violence, but the sector is underfunded and fragmented. Davina James-Haman, Chief Executive of AVA, talks about how commissioners can work with charities in the second of two podcasts on the topic.
Transcript To be supplied
domesticviolence #publichealth
There are many third sector organisations with a focus on domestic violence, but the sector is underfunded and fragmented. Polly Neate, Chief Executive of Women’s Aid, talks about how commissioners can work with charities in the first of two podcasts on the topic.
Transcript To be supplied
domesticviolence #publichealth
In the second of two podcasts on the topic, Professor Gill Hague offers her thoughts on what academia can do to help tackle domestic violence. Transcript Thank you for inviting me to speak on this podcast. I am going to start by talking briefly about domestic violence and universities. Basically 25 years ago, violence against women was not a topic of interest at all in academia and it has been a huge struggle since then to get it accepted as something worthy of attention by universities -- as something worthy of study within our academic institutions. That long battle has been at least partly won due to the great efforts of both researchers and activists. Now, there are research centres working on all aspects of violence against women. For example, the Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit (CWASU) at London Metropolitan University led by Liz Kelly. Or our Centre for Gender and Violence Research in School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol, which was founded by myself and Ellen Malos back in 1990, now under the stewardship of Marianne Hester. There are centres at Warwick, centres at the University of Central Lancashire, at Worcester, at Manchester, Roehampton and so on.... These various centres do research on all aspects of gender violence, e.g. domestic violence, sexual violence, rape, so called ‘honour’-based violence, trafficking, FGM -- research on violence against women, violence against people from LGBT communities, abuse of disabled women, violence against men sometimes -- etc. Also there is a subject of research which is recognised now as ‘coercive control’ of one partner by the other which predominantly relates to coercive control over women and wives by domineering and controlling partners. All of these research groups conduct research on improving policy and the practice of agencies and also they work with activists, with managers and with governments to provide evidence and to improve responses to VAW. So as a practitioner, it is worth checking out the research findings coming out of these centres or from individual VAW researchers, both in the local area and also nationally, which can be useful to inform practice. The researchers often produce recommendations, guidance and action plans which can be helpful. Some examples of these materials include: strategies for dealing with violence in the name of so-called honour, recommendations for services for disabled women, action plans for the health service, research on the effectiveness of government initiatives on VAW and so on. These centres may well make attempts to raise the voices of abused women and their children in their research. Some of them derive from movements for women’s equality, but they now work closely with governments and others e.g. to build coordinated community responses to domestic violence which seems now to be the best way forward; to improve service provision, despite the current cutbacks; or to develop ways that the third sector can work constructively with statutory bodies e.g. in the health service. They also sometimes work theoretically to develop new ways of understanding VAW which can be helpful in the field. Most of these researchers take a view that abuse and violence are about power and control by the abuser over the abused, often by the male perpetrator over a woman victim/ survivor. There are also some other research centres which are made up of family violence researchers who might see abuse between women and men in the family as more equal on both sides. While this can certainly be the case, for very minor violence, all the research shows and all researchers from the various fields agree however that it is certainly not the case for more serious forms of violence where injuries are concerned and which are carried out by men against women disproportionately. Family violence researchers might also look at child abuse and child welfare issues etc. All these researchers have transformed the policy and ...
In the first of two podcasts on the subject, CEO of The Global Foundation For The Elimination Of Domestic Violence (EDV) Deborah Jamieson talks about what academia can do to help combat domestic violence. Transcript To be supplied
Domesticviolence #Publichealth #academia
Domestic violence is the largest health risk factor for women of reproductive age. Dr Alex Sohal, GP in Tower Hamlets and Royal College of General Practitioners clinical champion for domestic violence, explains the role GPs can play in supporting women experiencing the health effects of domestic violence. Transcript: To be supplied
Domesticviolence, #publichealth, #generalpractice
In some parts of the world, domestic violence against pregnant women is more prevalent than diabetes or hypertension, but receives far less attention. In this podcast, Dr Susan Bewley of Kings College sets out the facts about domestic violence involving pregnant women and suggest what healthcare professionals can do to help.
Transcript “The woman about to become a mother, or with her newborn infant upon her bosom, should be the object of trembling care and sympathy wherever she bears her tender burden or stretches her aching limbs….” So said Dr Oliver Wendall Holmes in 1843, beautifully describing how all of us should treat women having children – whether that be husbands, partners, family members or professionals. He reminds us that women and children are precious and mothering is important.
Domestic violence and abuse towards pregnant women or new mothers is hidden, a taboo and yet highly prevalent. Pregnancy is a recognised risk factor for murder, and domestic violence is a feature in at least 1 in 7 maternal deaths from obstetric causes. What is going on? Whilst most intimate relationships are respectful, others are coloured by issues of power, coercive control and violence including rape and sexual assault. Abuse in pregnancy is common and is found throughout the world. Rates of abuse during pregnancy and after have been found ranging from 1 in 30 to 1 in 3 women. This is more common and yet less focused upon than diabetes or hypertension.
But let’s start with unwanted pregnancy: A recent meta-analysis has shown that a quarter of women seeking termination globally have experienced domestic violence within the previous year. Rape related pregnancy has a particularly high chance of leading to termination. There are high rates of physical, sexual and emotional violence amongst women seeking abortion, and healthcare professionals should particularly be aware of the clinical factors associated with greatest risk: previous and repeat termination, lack of contraception, initially planned pregnancy, ultrasound re-dating and the partner not being told about the termination. There are also potential associations with young age, marital status, ethnicity and low household income. Domestic violence compromises both the safety and health of the woman requesting the termination, and potentially that of her partner and any existing children. In attempting to prevent repeat termination, a narrow service focus, say on long acting contraception, that excludes addressing the wider safety needs of a woman in a violent relationship, might leave her less likely to become pregnant but just as vulnerable to abuse. So, good practice dictates that termination services should have robust policies for ensuring women’s safety and confidentiality, providing information and referral pathways for those who disclose.
Moving to ongoing pregnancy. Violence and abuse can start and escalate during pregnancy, and they are especially severe post partum. There are a host of ‘red flag’ associations ranging from late booking, frequent non-attendance, multiple non-specific admissions and discharge against advice, to clinical conditions such as antenatal depression, alcohol and substance misuse, abdominal pain, vaginal bleeding, injuries and falls, diminished fetal movements, miscarriage, growth restriction, prematurity and stillbirth and, after the birth, infections or torn stitches from forced sex. Some women are abandoned, others might have overbearing or oversolicitous partners who talk for or undermine them. In short, you don’t know what is going on in private unless you ask in privacy – all women must be given confidential time. And, thanks to the stigma, shame, isolation, fear and belittlement women suffer, they won’t tell you about abuse unless they feel safe that your response will be non-judgemental and understanding. You can help by learning about domestic abuse, and making it a routine question to ask women whether in yo...
People with disabilities suffering from domestic violence can lose out on all sides, facing both the danger of the abuse and marginalisation in a system that may lack support for them Professor Gill Hague of the School for Policy Studies, Bristol University explains the risks and the existing evidence. Transcript Thank you for inviting me to speak on this podcast On the subject of disabled women and domestic violence, this is an issue which has been massively ignored over the years. There has been a paucity of research except for a few small scale very pioneering studies over many years. Then Women’s Aid, the main provider of domestic violence services in the UK, conducted the first and only national funded UK study of disabled women and domestic violence from 2008 till 2010, led by myself from the Centre for Gender and Violence Research in the University of Bristol, together with Ravi Thiara from the University of Warwick, with Audrey Mullender from Ruskin College as consultant, and conducted by a mixed team of disabled and non disabled researchers and advised by a mixed group of disabled and non disabled advisers. This study confirmed the earlier smaller studies in finding that disabled women experiencing abuse face discrimination, vulnerability and hardships from all sides. Our study and the disability equality movement use the social model of disability, understanding that it is the failure of society to provide properly for the needs of disabled people that is truly disabling, and not people’s individual conditions. It is important to adhere to the great, and on occasion inspiring, principle of the disabled people’s equality movement: ‘Nothing about us without us’. And a major finding of ours was that all practice and policy developments, and awareness raising and training on this subject , can only be achieved in collaboration with and if possible with leadership from disabled women. However at the moment, the story is one of lack of lacks and gaps and disabled women facing abuse lose out from all sides For example, there are insufficient services to assist abused disabled women in both the domestic violence and the disability sectors a) Their needs still tend to be marginalised within domestic violence services despite the best of intentions and many refuges and services doing their very best to improve. There is still a long way to go in terms of services which are accessible in all ways (ie not just wheelchair accessible)
b) From the disability side, women who have experienced dv are often almost completely overlooked within the services provided by the disability equality movement and other disability services (often due to lack of funding or of knowledge about the issue). Thus disabled women who have been abused face a kind of double jeopardy. As regards the dv which disabled women experience, this can be from personal assistants / carers (our research produced some ideas and pointers about that) but is often from carers who are also partners. While many relationships between disabled women and partner-carers are, of course, not violent, those that are abusive are often distressing in the extreme... Disabled women describe abuse experiences that are complex, very serious and sometimes prolonged over long periods, and may differ from those of non-disabled women because the abuse may be closely linked to their impairments, i.e. the abuser may use the impairment as part and parcel of the abuse. Thus, abused disabled women are often in situations of greater vulnerability and isolation especially is they have to call on their abuser if they need any sort of assistance or help. They often may also become almost invisible within service provision, and are frequently severely marginalised in society in general, Disabled women often face difficult restrictions re any possible exit route from the violence because of the absence of support services and other opportunities, and because they may not be able ...
Clare Perkins, Director of PHE's North West Knowledge & Intelligence Team, explains the evidence base for domestic violence: what it is, who it affects, how we prevent it. Transcript INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE (sometimes referred to as Domestic Violence) is a serious, but preventable public health problem.
In 2011/12, 7.3% of women and 5% of men reported having experienced domestic abuse in the last year according to the Crime Survey for England & Wales. This is equivalent to an estimated 1.2 million female victims and 800,000 male victims.
INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE is defined as any behaviour within an intimate relationship that causes physical, psychological or sexual harm to those in the relationship. There are four main types (Saltzman et al. 2002):
• Physical violence • Sexual violence and • Threats of physical or sexual violence and Psychological/emotional violence – this can include humiliating the victim, controlling what the victim can and cannot do, withholding information, deliberately doing something to make the victim feel diminished or embarrassed, isolating the victim from friends and family, and denying the victim access to money or other basic resources. In addition, stalking is often included among the types. The most common forms of INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE are non-physica,l including emotional and financial abuse. INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE can vary in frequency and severity. It occurs on a continuum, ranging from one episode to chronic, severe abuse and violence. Not everyone is equally at risk of Intimate Partner Violence. Victims are more likely to be:
• Female • At a Younger age • From a Low household income • Being single, co-habiting, separated or divorced • & Living in areas of high physical disorder
They are more likely to
• Consume alcohol (victim and perpetrators) • Have a controlling and jealous partner • Be a perpetrator or victim of childhood abuse • Live in communities where there is gender inequality and where • Cultural norms are tolerant of violence
The health and social effects of intimate partner violence can be severe and wide-ranging and can have lasting harmful effects on individuals, families, and communities. The consequences can include physical injuries and chronic conditions; anxiety, depression and post traumatic stress disorder. In addition, experience of INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE is linked to risky behaviours such as tobacco, alcohol and drug misuse, often as a way of coping.
INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE is not just a problem for the men and women who experience it but also for children who observe it. Much like infections, violence in contagious. For instance, exposure to violence as a child makes an individual more likely to be involved in violence in later life. We need to break this vicious cycle.
The costs of INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE can be substantial. In 2004, the cost of domestic violence in England and Wales was estimated to be £23 billion per year.
The goal for public health is to recognize and prevent INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE and it can be prevented.
In the United Kingdom and elsewhere, there are a range of programmes and interventions available that can be used to address the risk factors for INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE, and promote protective factors across the life course to help prevent INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE or to reduce subsequent victimization.
The primary prevention of intimate violence (and by primary prevention I mean reducing the number of new instances of violence) is likely to save lives and money.
The importance of primary prevention is often overshadowed by the importance of the large number of programmes that, understandably, seek to deal with the immediate and numerous consequences of violence.
However, investment to stop intimate partner violence before it occurs is crucial as this will protect and promote the well-being and development of individuals, families, communities and societies.
At present, evidence on the effec...
Sally McManus, Health and Wellbeing Team Research Director at NatCen Research, explains the clear relationship between violence, including domestic violence, and mental health disorders. Transcript: I'm going to talk about why violence and abuse are core business for mental health services, and about the survey data that shows that people with extensive experience of physical and sexual violence are five times more likely to have a clinical mental disorder.
Britain has many of the best social research studies in the world, including a remarkable programme of surveys, funded by the Department of Health, that has been tracking the mental health of the nation since the early 1990s.
Large, random samples of people from across the country have answered detailed survey questions about their life circumstances and about their mental health. Analysis of data from this series has shown that there is a social gradient in mental health. For example, people experiencing financial strain or who are living in a cold home, are more likely to have poor mental health than those who do not.
But when analysing this data one aspect of people's lives stood out for us as having a much stronger association with mental health than any of the other factors we examined - that is, participants' experiences of abuse and violence.
At least one person in four across the English population has had experience of violence and abuse in their lives. For some of these people, this was an isolated incident. But for many it was part of a much wider, more pervasive pattern.
About one person in twenty five in the English population has had extensive experience of both physical and sexual violence in adulthood, with a history of violence extending back into childhood.
The types of experiences reported to us by people in this group included: - being kicked, hit or bit, - being choked or strangled by a partner, - sexual abuse as both an adult and a child, - and extensive cohesive control from a partner, such as being prevented from seeing family and friends, and not having fair access to household finances.
The people with this most extensive experience of physical and sexual violence - who make up about 4% of the English population - were: - five times more likely to have clinical anxiety or depression, than those without such experiences, - half of the people in this group reported having self-harmed, and they were - 15 times more likely to have had made a suicide attempt.
People with histories of violence of abuse tended to have worse general health - and were more likely to be disabled - than the rest of the population.
They were also more likely to be women and many likely to live in deprived neighbourhoods. However, the survey data showed that there were many men with such experiences, and we found cases of violence and abuse in every socio-economic group.
Our research has had a very wide range of implications:
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In terms of setting priorities for the National Suicide Prevention strategy - it has shown that people with such experiences are a crucial group for the strategy to address.
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For service providers - our research supports the need for what is known as 'routine enquiry' - that is, service providers need to routinely ask the clients that they come into contact with whether or not they have experienced violence and whether or not they are safe now. Training needs to be available to service providers to help them feel able to ask these questions. Service providers also need to feel confident that if they identify someone at risk of violence, there is the support available to which they can refer that person.
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And as Local authorities and Health and Wellbeing Boards take on responsibility for public health. Our research has shown that violence and abuse are clearly public health issues, and that they should be a part of the wider public health agenda. Violence and abuse are not only linked with poor mental health, but also with poor phy...
Amy Nichols, Head of Domestic and Sexual Violence Policy at the Department of Health, explains the policy context for addressing domestic violence in the UK.
Transcript: I have been asked to set out the policy context for “intimate partner violence.” Intimate partner violence is a form of domestic violence and abuse.
The Government has a broad definition of domestic violence which includes intimate partner violence, as well as honour-based violence, forced marriage, female genital mutilation and sexual abuse. I will set out the definition but will focus on intimate partner violence only.
So, domestic violence is: 'Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are or have been intimate partners or family members1 regardless of gender or sexuality. This can encompass, but is not limited to, the following types of abuse:
• psychological • physical • sexual • financial • emotional”
Domestic violence in England and Wales accounts for 16% of all violent crime and is the major cause of injury in women under 60 years old. More than 1 in 4 women had been affected by domestic violence since the age of 16 years. Men too experience domestic violence. The physical and mental health impact on the person at the end of the violence can be chronic. It includes trauma and injury; reproductive health and gynaecological problems; as well as mental health consequences, such as post- traumatic stress disorder, depression, substance misuse and suicide.
The effects of domestic violence don’t stop there. Children who witness domestic violence can also get caught with trauma and injury; experience developmental delays and acquire behavioural and mental health problems.
The coalition Government is absolutely committed to preventing violence against women and children in all its forms and this is a Government priority. I want to mention two important overarching pieces of legislation because intimate partner violence affects equalities and inequalities and is also affected by them. Public sector equality duties under Under the Equality Act 2010 are a key framework for ensuring that the impact of equalities is addressed in a way that provides opportunity for all. This duty requires public bodies, to demonstrate that we are taking action on equality in policymaking, service delivery as well as public sector employment. We have to take steps not just to eliminate unlawful discrimination and harassment, but also to actively promote equality. Age, Race, Sex, Sexual orientation, Religion and belief, Disability, Gender reassignment, Marriage and civil partnership, Pregnancy and maternity are important protected characteristics against which it is unlawful to discriminate and all these bear on domestic violence. The Health and Social Care Act 2012 also requires the Secretary of State for Health to have regard to the need to reduce health inequalities. This duty covers both the NHS and public health and relates to the whole population of England.
In November 2010, the Government published a strategy on how it intends to tackle violence. The outcomes we want to achieve in Call to end violence against women and girls are: • Societal – for people to find domestic violence unacceptable and to be able to challenge it; • Reduction - for fewer people to experience domestic violence. • Identification and support - for frontline professionals such as doctors and nurses to be able to identify and deal with domestic violence • Employers – for employers to recognise and support victims of domestic violence
The main principles behind Call to end violence against women and girls are: • Preventing domestic violence • Providing services • Working in partnership • Better justice outcomes
In March 2011, the Government published the first action plan for Call to end violence against women and girls and this has been refreshed eac...
In the first of our series of podcasts for the 16 Days of Action on domestic violence, PHE Director for Health Inequality and Impact Dr Annmarie Connolly talks about what domestic violence means from a public health point of view.
Transcript: Public Health is defined by the Faculty of Public Health as ‘The science and art of promoting and protecting health and well-being, preventing ill-health and prolonging life through the organized efforts of society”
Public health works across three domains of practice: Health Improvement Improving services Health Protection
Public Health is delivered by a wide range of professionals, there are specialist public health consultants and practitioners working in teams in Local Authorities, supporting clinical commissioning groups, in NHS England, the Department of Health and of course in Public Health England.
But much of the work of public health is done by teachers, nurses, health visitors, children centre staff, physiotherapists, environmental health officers, general practitioners and hospital doctors, leisure centre professionals and a wide range of others, including thousands of volunteers supporting the third sector.
At its core public health is about improving the health of the population, sometimes through identifying threats and responding, such as leading the response to the threat of Pandemic Flu, sometimes through legislation like the ban on smoking in restaurants and bars or through influencing planning and licencing decisions to protect the health of local people, sometimes through national programmes to identify early disease and disease risk factors like cancer screening and NHS Health Checks programme. Public health can work in many ways but at its root is a focus on taking a whole system approach to addressing the things that act as barriers to individuals reaching their potential.
Anyone who has ever been touched by domestic violence or abuse, can tell you about it’s damaging affect in the short, medium and long term, it is clearly something that acts as a barrier to achieving individual potential and a long and happy life, and therefore clearly an area where the public health system should be looking to act.
The WHO state that, on average, 30% of women who have been in a relationship report that they have experienced some form of physical or sexual violence, many more will have experienced emotional and financial abuse on top of this 30%.
Estimates in England and Wales suggest that approximately 1.2 million women and girls, and about 800,000 men and boys aged 16 to 65yrs were victims of domestic violence in 11/12 . The same estimates predict that 31% of women and 18% of men have experienced domestic abuse since the age of 16yrs, this amounts to 5 million women and 2.9 million men across England and Wales. Domestic violence can affect anyone, at any point in the life course, and although there are inequalities, domestic violence affects people both in employment and unemployment, across the socio-economic divide. 1.6% of older people aged over 65yrs reported abuse in the past year from a family member, close friend or a care worker. 40% of the abuse was perpetrated by a partner and 43% by another family member .
At the other end of the spectrum, research has found that one in six girls aged 13 to 17y reported some form of severe domestic violence inflected on them by a partner .
Research has also found higher rates of domestic violence an abuse affecting the disabled, some ethnic minorities groups, lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans populations.
We also know that over a third of domestic violence starts or gets worse when a woman is pregnant, and one in five midwives know that at least one of her expectant mothers is a victim of domestic violence . And there is a growing body of evidence of the life long negative affects of domestic violence on children.
The impacts of domestic violence are physical, emotional and mental, and in some cases it can be fa...