Domestic Abuse
Domestic Abuse and Coercive Control
THE FACTS
Domestic abuse (which includes physical and sexual violence, emotional abuse, coercive and controlling behaviour and economic abuse) will affect 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6-7 men, during their lifetime.
There are over 2 million reported cases of domestic abuse each year in the UK alone, with men, women and people from all age groups, ethnicities and cultures, included both as perpetrators and victims.
Domestic abuse is a key driver in suicide numbers for men and women, with close to 50% of all UK suicides being linked to domestic abuse.
The annual social and economic costs of domestic abuse have been estimated to reach as much as £66 billion a year in the UK alone.
It is unsurprising then, that organisations and wider society are incresasingly asking how people can spot the signs early for themselves and how to look out for one another?
As a lived-experience survivor of domestic abuse, TEDx speaker and CPD accredited trainer, I will draw on some of my story, as well as wider research, to develop your understanding of how domestic abuse unfolds, the challenges in reaching out for help and how to best support your colleagues.
Areas explored:
How people from all walks of life, can easily fall into abusive relationships.
What life is like, day-to-day for people caught in abusive relationships, from the impact on employment to wider family relationships, their self confidence and decision making.
Why people stay in abusive relationships and become their abuser’s greatest defender and excuse maker.
Why victims are often reluctant to admit that they’re the victim of domestic abuse, when people from the outside (wider family, friends, colleagues etc) have suspicions that it’s an abusive relationship and have checked if they’re ok.
The reality of gaslighting: what it is and how it manifests itself in abusive relationships.
Life after abuse: from personal safety to parental alienation and the family courts, why the rebuilding process is time consuming and complex.
How to effectively reach out to those people we might be concerned about, but we feel awkward about initiating a conversation on such a sensitive topic.
What are the red flags of abusive relationships? What should you look out for when forming new relationships, so you could take action early if necessary?