The phrase Violence Against Women and Girls is used to describe violent and abusive behaviour directed at women and girls because they are women and girls. It is behaviour that is mostly carried out by men. It is an abuse of power that stems from women’s inequality in society, which is deep-rooted. 

It covers a wide range of behaviours, including the actual and threat of:

• physical, sexual, psychological, emotional, and financial abuse occurring in the family, within the general community, and in institutions. It includes both physical and digital spaces and place.
• domestic abuse/coercive controlling behaviours, stalking, rape, incest, sexual harassment, bullying, and intimidation.
• commercial sexual exploitation (CSE), including prostitution, lap dancing, stripping, pornography.
• human trafficking, including for the purposes of domestic servitude, sexual exploitation, and child criminal exploitation, which may include gangs and organised criminal networks.
• child abuse occurring within family settings, including domestic abuse, and sexual abuse by male family members including siblings.
• child sexual abuse and exploitation including the production and sharing of indecent images of children.
• honour-based abuse, including forced marriages, female genital mutilation (FGM), dowry abuse and ‘honour based’ coercive control and killings.

Violence Against Women and Girls damages health and wellbeing, with long term impacts on the lives of those affected, including families and communities. Women and children who have experienced violence, abuse and exploitation in Scotland are at increased risk of experiencing inequality of outcomes throughout their lives. They are at greater risk of experiencing physical and mental health problems, homelessness, drug and alcohol support needs, reduced education and employment opportunities, injuries and even death.

In addition to the devastating impact that VAWG has on the lives of families and communities across Scotland, it negatively impacts on society, including placing a significant pressure on public services. The financial costs are significant. This includes direct costs relating to women, children, and young people accessing healthcare, criminal justice proceedings, refuge accommodation, and other housing and social care services, and indirect costs related to support with mental health and trauma, drug and alcohol use, welfare support, and loss of economic productivity.

The World Health Organisation estimates that one in three women worldwide will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime. Police Scotland are called to attend a domestic abuse incident every nine minutes, which is often described as the ‘tip of the iceberg’ due to a huge amount of under-reporting. Four out of five incidents reported to Police Scotland have a female victim and a male perpetrator. 38% of all murders of women globally are committed by a male partner. On average, two women a week are killed by a current or former partner in England and Wales (there are no equivalent statistics in Scotland). 

Every year the Scottish Government publishes domestic abuse statistics reported by Police Scotland. You can see the latest statistics – Domestic abuse in Scotland statistics 

Violence against Women and Girls harms everyone in society, including men and boys. Boys experience domestic abuse, sexual abuse, and exploitation in significant numbers. While men and boys may benefit from some of the inequalities that contribute to its cause, they are also harmed by them. Gender norms and expectations about masculinity can have a negative impact on men and boys, leading to mental health problems, risk of suicide and drug-related harm. Men can be victims of domestic abuse as well, whether their partner is a man or a woman. Gender stereotypes about masculinity can make it difficult for men to recognise what is happening to them and seeking supports. Research suggests that gay, bisexual, and trans men face significant risk of physical violence, sexual violence, and coercive control within their intimate relationships. 

Domestic abuse is a pattern of controlling, coercive, threatening, degrading and/or violent behaviour, including sexual violence, by a partner or ex-partner. Often when people think of domestic abuse they think of physical violence, but domestic abuse is very often so much more than that. For many women who live with domestic abuse there will be no scars, bruises, or broken bones, but for some it can have a devastating and long-lasting impact. No one kind of abuse is more serious than any other.

Controlling and coercive behaviour was criminalised by the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018. It is a course of conduct offence, where ongoing harmful and abusive actions in a relationship, which in isolation might not seem as serious, are examined together; this is about patterns of behaviour over time.

We know that anyone can be affected by domestic abuse. Domestic abuse is overwhelmingly experienced by women and perpetrated by men. Domestic abuse is a serious social problem; it affects women from any social class, ethnic group, religious background, or sexuality. It affects old and young women, women with disabilities, women who are married or cohabiting, women who have and who do not have children. 

Disabled women in the UK are twice as likely to experience men’s violence as non-disabled women. 

While men are at lower risk of experiencing domestic abuse and other forms of gender based violence than women, and are far more likely to perpetrate it, there are men across Scotland who have experienced domestic abuse, sexual abuse, and exploitation.

You can read more: Who is affected? | Scottish Women’s Aid 

Domestic abuse is not a one-off incident – it usually builds up over time as the abusive partner does different things to control the person. The abuser can go to great lengths to keep their behaviours hidden or explained and make it very difficult for the woman who is being abused to reach out or tell what is happening them. Some of the things that an abuser may do include:

• Making threats to hurt the person they are abusing and their child.
• Calling names and making her feel bad about herself and how she looks.
• Gaslighting – a form of psychological abuse that makes someone question their reality, memories, and sanity.
• Stopping her from seeing or making it hard for her to see her family and friends.
• Phoning or texting and tracking her phone.
• Controlling her finances.
• Physical abuse.
• Putting pressure on her to have sex.
• Being nice to her, buying gifts, and apologising, often after a period of abuse.
• Using their children in various ways – saying things to the children about her, telling them not to do what she says.

Domestic abuse undermines a child’s basic needs for safety and security and can have serious and long-term impacts on their health, development, education outcomes and overall wellbeing. A child does not need to be present during the abuse to be affected. 

Read more – Protecting children from domestic abuse | NSPCC Learning

This is a question that is often asked, and it is important to recognise that it is a complex issue with lots of barriers that stand in the way of a woman leaving an abusive relationship. The abuser may make threats towards the woman, their family, and friends, and one of the reasons women do not leave is because it can be very dangerous to do so, and that is the time when they are at greatest risk. Domestic abusers find ways to isolate the woman, restricting their access to supports, resources and the means to leave. You can read more –  Why don’t women leave? – Women’s Aid (womensaid.org.uk)

The Disclosure Scheme for Domestic Abuse Scotland (DSDAS) gives people the right to ask about the Police about background of their partner. It also allows concerned relatives and friends, the right to ask about someone’s partner. They can ask if they have been abusive in the past. DSDAS also gives Police Scotland the power to tell people that they may be at risk. This information can be given if it is not asked for. For more information go to Disclosure Scheme for Domestic Abuse Scotland – Police Scotland

A Marac (Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference) is a meeting where information is shared on the highest risk domestic abuse cases, where someone is identified as being at risk of serious harm or death, and a safety plan put in place to reduce risk and increase safety. Marac exists in every local authority in Scotland. The primary focus of the Marac is to safeguard the adult victim. The Marac will also make links with others to safeguard children and manage the perpetrator’s behaviour. At the heart of the Marac, is the working assumption that no single agency or individual can see the complete picture of a victim’s life but they all may have insights that are crucial to the victim’s safety. You can read more –  What is a Marac? – SafeLives