- Publication detail
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Domestic violence and abuse can have a profound impact on individuals, families and communities. It affects physical health, mental wellbeing, housing, employment, education and financial security, and can have lasting effects on children who witness or experience abuse.
Domestic abuse can affect anyone, but some groups face greater risks or additional barriers to accessing support. Understanding the scale and nature of domestic abuse in Warwickshire is essential for improving prevention, ensuring people can access support when they need it, and reducing the inequalities associated with abuse.
This Joint Strategic Needs Assessment explores the scale, impact and characteristics of domestic violence and abuse in Warwickshire. It brings together national and local evidence, service data, stakeholder feedback and the views of residents to better understand who is affected by domestic abuse, identify unmet need, and inform future service planning and commissioning.
The assessment highlights the significant personal, social and economic impacts of domestic abuse and the importance of a coordinated, whole-system response.
Read the Warwickshire’s Domestic Violence and Abuse JSNA (PDF, 2.4MB)
- Executive summary
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Key insights include:
Understanding domestic violence and abuse
Domestic violence and abuse can include physical, emotional, psychological, sexual, financial and coercive forms of abuse.
Many victims experience multiple forms of abuse at the same time, with psychological abuse being the most commonly reported form.
Domestic abuse has significant consequences for health, wellbeing, relationships, employment and financial stability.
The economic cost of domestic abuse is substantial, affecting health, social care, criminal justice and wider public services.
Local need and prevalence
An estimated 23,500 adults aged 16-74 experienced domestic abuse in Warwickshire during 2019/20. Only a small proportion of those estimated to need support accessed commissioned domestic abuse services.
Domestic abuse remains significantly underreported, meaning actual need is likely to be higher than recorded levels.
Repeat victimisation is common, with a substantial proportion of abuse involving repeat incidents.
Who is most at risk?
Although anyone can experience domestic abuse, women are disproportionately affected.
Young adults and older adults can face particular vulnerabilities and may require different forms of support.
LGBTQ+ people experience higher rates of domestic abuse but often face additional barriers to seeking help.
Disabled people experience higher levels of domestic abuse but appear underrepresented in services.
People from minority ethnic communities, migrants and those with insecure immigration status may face barriers to accessing support.
Other factors associated with increased risk include pregnancy, poverty, substance misuse, poor mental health and social isolation.
Impact on children and families
Domestic abuse can have significant and long-lasting impacts on children’s health, wellbeing and development.
Children living in households affected by abuse may experience emotional harm, trauma and poorer long-term outcomes.
A whole-family approach is needed to support recovery and reduce future harm.
Experiences of victims and survivors
Many people affected by domestic abuse do not seek support. Common barriers include fear, shame, stigma, not recognising abuse, concerns about confidentiality and uncertainty about available services.
Victims highlighted the importance of accessible, flexible and confidential support options.
Both face-to-face and online support were identified as valuable, depending on individual circumstances and needs.
Local services and support
Warwickshire provides a range of specialist services including a domestic abuse helpline, Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs), refuge accommodation, outreach services, family support and counselling.
Multi-agency partnerships play an important role in identifying risk and coordinating support for high-risk victims.
Gaps were identified in support for children and young people affected by domestic abuse.
There is a need to strengthen perpetrator programmes and interventions aimed at preventing repeat abuse.
Some groups, including men, older people, disabled people, LGBTQ+ communities and minority ethnic groups, may not access support services proportionately to need.
Better equalities data is needed to understand experiences and outcomes across different population groups.
Professionals highlighted the need for improved awareness, training and referral pathways across services.
Impact of COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic increased risks for many people experiencing domestic abuse.
Restrictions made it more difficult for some victims to access support and safely seek help.
Local evidence suggested an increase in repeat victimisation and increased complexity of need during the pandemic.
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