DOMESTIC ABUSE STATISTICS
Domestic abuse can affect anyone, regardless of Job, social status, gender, sexuality or ethnicity.
In the year ending March 2019,1.6 million women and 786.000 men, reported being victims of domestic abuse. The number of unreported cases is likely to be much higher and each person will have been a victim to multiple ongoing incidents.
A victim is subjected to an average of 35 serious incidents before they consider trying to leave the relationship.
Leaving the abusive relationship is the most dangerous time for victims.
Statistically at least 10% of your employees are likely to be victims or survivors of domestic abuse every year.
THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COSTS OF DOMESTIC ABUSE
A U.K. Government report estimates the social and economic cost of domestic abuse in the year ending March 2017 in England and Wales to be approximately £66 billion.
Of this, U.K. businesses are losing £14billion a year due to decreased productivity, poor performance, absenteeism and employee turnover as a direct result of domestic abuse.
Shocking new figures released in November 2019, indicated that 574,000 working women have suffered domestic abuse in the past 12 months.
The study by KPMG revealed that of these, 122,000 women have taken time off work because of domestic abuse in the past year. The accounting firm calculated that It led to £316 million in economic output being lost, by UK businesses as a result of work absences.
They also stated that the potential loss of earnings per woman, as a result of abuse having negative impacts on career progression, is estimated to be £5,800 each year.
KPMG analysis of records on domestic abuse victims also revealed that the length of unplanned leave averages at 10.1 days per woman. This equates to approximately £10 billion in potential earnings lost each year.
Shockingly, KPMG did not consider male employees in this study.
DOMESTIC ABUSE SURVIVORS HAVE LOST OVER £7 BILLION AS PERPETRATORS INTERCEPT THEIR POST (Citizens Advice warns)
Citizens Advice has found that almost half (47%) of survivors of domestic abuse have had their post intercepted, opened or hidden by the perpetrator.
This has resulted in missed medical treatments and isolation from vital support networks. The charity has also estimated survivors have lost £7.1 billion in the last decade. This is as a result of abusers hiding bills - which can lead to interest building up and penalties - or taking credit out using the survivor’s identity
Additionally, four in ten (40%) survivors had their new address disclosed to the perpetrator, despite it breaching data protection regulations. This is mostly by agencies, such as a survivor’s child’s school or local authorities. This figure increased to 52% in the case of survivors with children.
DOMESTIC ABUSE AND YOUR MENTAL HEALTH
Domestic abuse can have an enormous effect on your mental health. It is well accepted that abuse (both in childhood and in adult life) is often the main factor in the development of depression, anxiety and other mental health disorders, and may lead to sleep disturbances, self-harm, suicide, attempted suicide, eating disorders and substance misuse.
SUFFERERS AND SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC ABUSE ARE THREE TIMES MORE LIKELY TO DEVELOP SERIOUS MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
55.8% of female victims, suffer from serious mental or emotional problems as do 41.2% of male victims.
11% of male victims try to take their own lives, as do 7.2% of female victims.
THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COSTS OF MENTAL ILL-HEALTH
Mental ill-health, including stress, depression and anxiety, is thought to be responsible for 91 million lost working days each year, more than for any other illness. Overall, recent estimates put the cost to UK employers at £30 billion each year.
Analysis released in 2019 by the Trust for London and the Henry Smith Charity, highlights the costs of domestic abuse to the public purse across England – at a minimum of £5 million each week in every region.
IN ENGLAND ALONE, THE ESTIMATED TOTAL COSTS OF DOMESTIC ABUSE IS BROKEN DOWN AS:
• £1.6bn for physical and mental health costs.
• £1.2bn in criminal justice costs.
• £268m in social services costs.
• £185.7m in housing and refuge costs.
• £366.7m in civil legal costs.
• £1.8bn in lost economic output.
THE HIGHEST TOTAL COSTS IN ENGLAND ARE IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS:
• London (£918m)
• South east (£872.6m)
• North west (£720m)
• East of England (£590.5m)
In addition, the human and emotional costs in England are estimated to be almost £26m per day.
A TUC SURVEY OF DOMESTIC ABUSE VICTIMS IN THE WORKPLACE REVEALED:
81.2% were targeted at work through phone calls, emails or messages.
47.3% stated that their partner physically turned up at the workplace.
43.6% stated that their partner stalked them outside the workplace.
WHEN ASKED IF DOMESTIC ABUSE STOPPED THEM GETTING TO WORK:
26.5% said that their partner would hide or steal car keys or transportation money.
71.9% said physical injury or restraint stopped them attending work.
19.7% said that they had personal documents hidden or stolen, such as workplace ID, to prevent them going to work.
67.8% said that they didn’t attend work because of threats from their abuser.
27.7% said that they could not get to work because of a partner or ex partners refusal to show up to care for or collect children.
WHEN ASKED IF DOMESTIC ABUSE IMPACTED THEIR WORKPLACE PERFORMANCE:
56.7% stated that they had to take time off of work.
49.1% said that they were often late for work.
86% said their work was affected as a result of feeling tired, distracted or unwell as a direct result of their abuse.
WHEN ASKED WHY THEY DID NOT DISCUSS THEIR ABUSE WITH ANYONE AT WORK:
6.3% stated fear of dismissal.
57.8% said that they were ashamed.
70.9% said that privacy was an issue.
WHEN ASKED IF THEIR ABUSE HAD IMPACTED THEIR CO-WORKERS:
25% said that their co-workers had been harmed or threatened.
90.8% said that their abuse had caused conflict and tension with co-workers.
STALKING
50% of victims have curtailed or stopped work due to stalking
The Workplace Violence Research Institute found that 90% of corporate security professionals had handled 3 or more incidents of stalking in the workplace and claimed stalking was related to homicide in 15% of cases.
75% of domestic abuse stalkers will turn up at the workplace.
79% of domestic abuse stalkers will use work resources to target victims.
1 in 2 domestic stalkers who make a threat, will act on it.
1 in 10 stalkers, who had no prior relationship, if they make a threat will act on it.
The Metropolitan Police Service found that 40% of the victims of domestic homicides had also been stalked.
PROTECT YOUR BUSINESSES BOTTOM LINE AND SUPPORT THE VICTIMS IN YOUR WORKPLACE, WITH A DABS TRAINING DAY.