“Crunching” domestic violence – Shelley DeBere

It is almost impossible to put yourself in the position of a woman who has so much fear of another person, a person she calls her boyfriend, husband or partner, a person with whom she has spent ‘the best years’ of her life. It is hard to comprehend what would make a person continually endure black eyes, split lips and weekly beatings or to understand what makes a woman stay in a relationship where she is controlled more than we could ever comprehend. Imagine no longer being able to order your own food in restaurants or being able to make the simple decision of how to spend your weekend. Shockingly this is not an uncommon situation for many women living in the UK today.

Women lose their self respect, confidence and happiness, all of it beaten, trodden and crushed out of them. Finally they find themselves a shadow of their former character, with no independence and no identity and blaming themselves for everything they endure. The majority of domestic violence is not fatal, although statistics show that 1.6 million people worldwide lose their lives to it every year, yet the effects last a lifetime. Shockingly, the music star Rihanna has allegedly been the victim of domestic abuse recently, at the hands of her boyfriend, r&b artist Chris Brown.

Home Office estimates suggest that almost one in every three women will experience some level of domestic abuse in their lifetime. You may think it could never happen to “someone like you” but research shows that is it often the most unlikely women who suffer; those who are fiercely independent or who have prosperous careers and fall for the wrong man. The currently highly publicised recession only serves to aggravate already tense home lives. Constant money saving tips on television and newspapers filled with the falling house prices and job losses add to the normal stresses of day to day life. Not only this but domestic abuse can include a wide range of controlling behaviours such as ruling over the household funds, even a partner’s salary and bank account, making it even harder for them to leave. The Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith has said: “I know from talking to domestic violence professionals that money worries may exacerbate domestic tensions and that one of the reasons why many women remain in abusive situations is concerns about financial independence.”

The government recently unveiled a £3.5m funding for domestic violence charities in hope to raise awareness and ensure victims do not return to abusive relationships. It is hoped that this will work in collaboration with the banking sector, as financially-based constraints that exacerbate domestic violence become more important during this climate of financial hardship. The money is crucial to reaching these victims of both the credit crunch and domestic abuse.

Tags: domestic abuse, home office, violence