Hitting home
Domestic abuse is not only the preserve of the working class: it crosses every section of society, as Andrew Burnet discovers.
s you read this. (it) women all over Scotland are sitting hy the phone. waiting tor it to ring. .-\nd the calls will come. These home-workers are the volunteer stall. ol~ the Scottish Domestic .-\huse Helpline lSl);\lll.
and according to l.i/ Kelly. one ol‘
the three lull—timers who recruit. train and manage the team. '.lanuary can he a dreadl‘ul month.‘
Those experiencing domestic ahuse ol‘ten stiller during the liestive period. struggling in the hope ol not spoiling their children's ('hristmas. ‘:\nd then.‘ says Kelly. 'early' in the New Year. they just say. "Right. live got to do something ahout it".‘ They tnay also he prompted hy a puhlicity campaign run hy the Scottish li\ccutive.
l.;tst yeat'. the llelpline received
more than 20.000 calls. while over
45.00“ incidents ol‘ domestic ahuse
in Scotland were recorded hy' police. a rise ol‘ live percent on the previous year. The increase prohahly' rcl'lects a
than a growing prohlem. hut clearly many wotnen are sul‘l’ering persistent ill—treatment at the hands ol‘ their partners. And. says Kelly. the idea that it‘s a working—class prohlem is misguided: 'lt‘s right across every section ol‘ society. every culture. every l'aith. Rich and poor alike. working and non— working. the whole thing.‘
That’s just one of the myths surrounding domestic ahuse.
according to Mary l.ockltat't ol.
Scottish Women's Aid. which co- ordinates a organisations providing rel‘uge. support and advice to women. children and young people who experience domestic ahuse. ‘Some people think that the woman mast have asked l’or it.‘ says Lockhart. '()r that there‘s a sort ol’ hierarchy: that physical violence is the worst l‘orm ol' ahttse. It isn't. There are all domestic ahuse emotional. psychological. linancial which can he every hit as devastating. and as lil‘e—threatening.‘ But hoth Kelly and l.ockhart say attitudes are itnproving. and tnost men would now agree with the campaign slogan. ‘l)omestic ahuse: there's [to exellse‘. :\s l.oekhat't points out. the soap operas are taking the issue seriously. .lttst this year Scottish Ministers announced
sot‘ts ol.
greater willingness to report ahuse. rather
network iii
a further {om to support projects across Scotland working on violence against women and {out specil‘ically' to provide support to children and young people experiencing domestic ahuse.
But ahuse continues unreported in many households. The reasons some victims tail to seek help are complex. says l.i/ Kelly: ‘The tear that they‘ll not he helieved: the idea that it‘s a private matter within the family. This woman has heen hrainwashed hy‘ the ahuser. conditioned to helieve it‘s her lault: and it can take a long. long time to get through that. And there may he threats or veiled threats.‘
In the ahsence ol‘ a support network. the situation can seem hopeless to many victims. says l.ockhart. ‘\\'e‘rc still encountering some women who say. "I jttst didn’t know who to turn to." They don‘t know ahout the helpline and they don't know that the attitudes of the police have changed.’
Although policing domestic violence is dillicult. Scottish l'orces are liar hetter equipped than they once were. ‘livery' single police olTicer in Scotland now has domestic ahuse training.‘ l.ockhart. ‘And every l‘orce in Scotland has ol‘l'icers whose speciality is domestic ahusc.‘
ller advice to victims is simple:
sil_\s
The harsh realities of domestic abuse are portrayed in terrifying fashion by Ray Winstone and Kathy Burke in Gary Oldman’s film Nil By Mouth
help is on hand. Apart l‘rom offering the support of a sympathetic listening ear . availahle 24 hours a day. every day -— the Helpline can refer callers to sources ol' practical and legal advice.
liriends ol‘ victims can help too by dropping rel‘erences to the helpline into conversation. or hy' requesting leal'lets to distrihute in the workplace. The key point. says l.ockhart. is not to turn a hlind eye. 'll‘ you see or hear it. you should phone the police.‘ says l.ockhart. 'l)on‘t hesitate. It the couple are just larking around. that can he sorted out. But it they aren’t then it‘s crucial. .-\nd the only way' you
‘THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN BE A GOOD NEIGHBOUR IS TO PAY ATTENTION - DON'T IGNORE IT'
can he a good neighhour is to pay attention. l)on't ignore it.‘
:\s the liigtlt'es show. it‘s not a prohlem that will go away on its own.
Scottish Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0800 027 1234 www.domesticabuse.co.uk Scottish Women’s Aid: 0131 226 6606 www.scottishwomensaid.org.uk Rape Crisis Scotland: 0141 248 8848 (Glasgow) or 0131 556 9437 (Edinburgh) www.rapecrisisscotland.org.uk
'-4 . THE LIST 89