Christmas 'a difficult time' for victims of domestic violence

 

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Christmas can be a difficult time for women who are victims of domestic violence, the support charity Women's Aid has recognised.

In fact, the organisation sees a sharp increase in the volumes of calls made to its 24-hour support helpline in the month following the festive period, leading the firm to warn that many women may be 'hanging on' in a difficult relationship during this time.

Commenting on the situation, Teresa Parker, a spokesperson for the organisation, said that while there is commonly a spike in call volumes at the beginning of the year, domestic violence is an annual problem that affects women from all backgrounds across the globe on a daily basis.

She explained that Christmas can be a particular harrowing time for people in abusive relationships as the dual pressures of financial difficulties and spending long periods with an abusive partner combine to create greater anxiety and stress.

So too, she added that it is often not just partners who suffer due to violent spouses during this time.

"For children living in a home where there is violence, Christmas is not a time of celebration, but one of terror, as the family are together for an extended period of time," Ms Parker explained.

Such circumstances were said to be strong contributing factors to the increase in enquiries made to the helpline, which saw call volumes climb some 28 per cent in January of this year, amounting to around 14,000 calls received over the course of the month.

And Susie Marwood, a communications assistant for Women's Aid, suggested that the sharp rises seen in the past four years would suggest that a similar number of women and their children are going to need help as 2009 begins.

Meanwhile, Ms Parker explained that for many women feel there is little opportunity to get out of an abusive relationship, not knowing that help and support is available.

Commenting at the beginning of the year on the common feelings experienced by victims of domestic violence during the Christmas period, Nicola Harwin CBE, Women's Aid chief executive, explained that many women are unsure where they can turn.

"There are ... practical reasons why women stay: they may be afraid of repercussions if they attempt to leave, or of becoming homeless; they may worry about losing their children; and they may fear poverty and isolation," she explained.

For those who are in need of immediate advice on how to leave an abusive partner, the Women's Aid helpline is available 24-hours a day and is staffed by trained support workers. The organisation can offer practical advice on how to leave and where local support services such as safe houses are located.

Samaritans also provides immediate emotional support and guidance for all types of family problem. Calls are confidential and phonelines are manned 24-hours a day, every day of the year.

And while immediate telephone support can provide a vital lifeline to help people out of abusive relationships, recent gains made in the criminal justice system have meant that the necessary support and understanding continues in the months that follow.

In a recent report by the BBC, it was shown that the judicial process is becoming far more considerate of the difficulties of standing trial against an ex-partner.

As a result of the work done by Standing Together, a charity that coordinates agencies to ensure such cases are handled sensitively, a number of improvements have been made in taking the strain out of bringing abusive partners to justice.

And according to the Home Office, the establishment of 104 specialist domestic violence courts has also helped to increase conviction rates and help people move out of abusive relationships.

While the courts look normal from the outside, Colin Cooper, legal team manager at West London Magistrates' Court, explained that the specialist centres work in a very different way.

All court officials are specially trained in how to handle domestic violence cases, while new developments such as remote testimonials carried out via videolink help to reduce the emotional strain of convicting an aggressor, allowing people to address the judge without fear of intimidation.

Mr Cooper explained that the training gives all parties an informed understanding of the courage involved in taking a case to court and ensures that witnesses are treated sympathetically.

So too, strengthened legal frameworks and government-backed support groups ensure that victims will not witness reprisals outside of court, with injunctions barring defendants from making contact.

Meghan field, an adviser with Women's Trust West London, explained that the organisation can help women through each step of the legal process.

"Women want swift justice and cases in these courts can come to trial in a few months. Where these courts aren't in place, it can take a year-and-a-half," she concluded.

As a result of these improvements, family and criminal courts helped 22,795 more victims of domestic violence in 2007 than three years earlier, while continuing governmental funding and charitable donations will help even more people out of abusive relationships in the future.

The Women's Aid helpline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and can be reached by calling 0808 2000 247. It is run in association with Refuge, which provides a network of safe houses for those who need to leave home because of an abusive partner.

Samaritans offers further telephone support services for those who are experiencing difficulties at home, with trained staff on call to help people with a range of family issues including domestic violence. Samaritans treat calls in strictest confidence and are on hand 24 hours a day to provide emotional support and guidance.

People can call on Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 or 1850 60 90 90 in the Republic of Ireland.

 

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