RESEARCH FINDINGS 86 - Uk Home Office

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HOME OFFICE RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND STATISTICS DIRECTORATE

RESEARCH FINDINGS

No. 86

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: FINDINGS FROM THE BCS

SELF-COMPLETION QUESTIONNAIRE

Catriona Mirrlees-Black and Carole Byron

KEY POINTS

4.2% of women and 4.2% of men said they had been physically assaulted by a current

or former partner in the last year. 4.9% of men and 5.9% of women had experienced

physical assault and/or frightening threats.

Women were twice as likely as men to have been injured by a partner in the last year

and three times as likely to have suffered frightening threats. They were also more

likely to have been assaulted three or more times.

23% of women and 15% of men aged 16 to 59 said they had been physically

assaulted by a current or former partner at some time in their lives. These figures

increased to 26% and 17% respectively when frightening threats were included.

At greatest risk of domestic assault were the under 25s and those in financial diff i c u l t i e s .

For women, risks were particularly high for those who were separated from a spouse.

Half the victims had told someone about their most recent assault, most often a friend,

neighbour or relative. The police were the next most likely to hear of incidents,

followed by medical staff.

A computer-assisted self-interviewing (CASI) questionnaire, designed to give the most reliable

findings to date on the extent of domestic violence in England and Wales, was included in the

1996 British Crime Survey. The questionnaire covered frightening threats and physical assaults

committed by current and former partners against men and women aged 16 to 59.

The British Crime Survey (BCS) is a large national

survey which gives a count of crime that includes

incidents not reported to the police and those

reported to them, but not recorded.

All sweeps of the survey have provided an annual

estimate of the number of incidents of domestic

violence. However, it has been acknowledged this is

likely to be an under-estimate. This is mainly

because of the face-to-face mode of questioning,

though various strategies are used to overcome this,

including the use of a card for the respondent to read

and respond to. The 1992 survey additionally

included a card-based measure of lifetime

experience of domestic violence, but this question

too was thought to have its limitations. The switch to

computer-assisted interviewing for the main BCS

provided the opportunity to introduce computer-

assisted self-interviewing (CASI). The i n t e r v i e w e r s

pass the laptop computer over to the respondent

who reads the questions on the screen and inputs

responses directly into the computer. The method

was first used in the 1994 survey to measure illegal

drug use and sexual victimisation.

The 1996 BCS included a new CASI component

designed to give a measure of domestic violence

committed by partners and ex-partners against men

and women aged 16 to 59. CASI improves data

quality (questions cannot be left unanswered) and

respondents also seem to perceive a greater degree

of confidentiality. However, because responses must

be pre-coded, the detail required to classify incidents

into offence categories cannot be collected.

EXTENT OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

The CASI questionnaire measured both the use of

physical violence by current and former partners

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RESEARCH FINDINGS

No. 86

(domestic assault) and frightening threats.

Respondents were asked whether they had ever

experienced these, and whether they had done so

in the previous 12 months (interviews were

conducted between January and May 1996).

4.2% of both women and men aged 16 to 59 said

they had experienced domestic assault in the

previous year. Women were twice as likely to say

they had been injured by such an assault as men

(2.2% compared with 1.1% of men); and they were

more likely to have suffered repeated assault within

the year: 2.0% of women had been assaulted three

or more times compared with 1.5% of men. They

were also much more likely to say they had suffered

from frightening threats from a partner (3.8% said

so, compared with 1.2% of men).

In total, it is estimated there were 6.6 million

incidents of domestic assault in 1995. Although, on

average, female victims are more likely to

experience repeated assault, the total number of

assaults in the year is evenly split between men and

women, because there are more men than women

aged 16 to 59 in the population.

Lifetime experience

Figure 1 shows the lifetime prevalence of domestic

violence. In total, 26% of women and 17% of men

have been victims of assault or threat. 23% of

women and 15% of men said they had been

assaulted by a current or former partner at some time

in their lives, and 16% of women and 5% of men had

experienced frightening threats.

Amongst women, it was the 20- to 24-year-olds who

were most likely to say they had experienced

domestic assault (28%) and/or frightening threats

(20%) from a partner at some time in their life. For

men, it was the 30- to 34-year-olds (20% and 6%

respectively). The oldest age group (men and

women) were the least likely to report such

experiences. This may indicate that risks of

experiencing domestic violence have increased over

time, perhaps because young people now have a

greater number of `domestic' relationships. On the

other hand, it may be that the older age groups are

more reluctant to report their experiences to the

survey (or that incidents which took place longer ago

are less likely to be recalled in the survey context).

Repeated violence suggests an abusive relationship

in which violence is relatively likely to recur. Therefore,

the risks and nature of victimisation are considered

separately for victims who said they had been

assaulted `once or twice' (

i n t e r m i t t e n t

victims) and for

those who reported three or more assaults (

c h r o n i c

victims). An important limitation of this classification is

that no account is taken of the seriousness of the

assaults. A victim of rare, but serious assaults, would

be classified as intermittent and someone who

reported frequent but minor shoves and pushes would

be classified as a chronic victim.

Of 16- to 59-year-olds, 8.7% were classified as

chronic victims and 10.3% as intermittent. Women

were more likely to be classified as chronic victims

(12.1% compared with 5.0% of men see Table 1).

Figure 1 Lifetime prevalence of domestic

violence

Table 1 Typology of domestic assault (CASI)

Women

Men

All

In lifetime

No domestic assault

77.3

85.1

81.0

Chronic levels of assault

12.1

5.0

8.7

Intermittent levels of assault

10.6

9.9

10.3

In last year

No domestic assault

95.8

Chronic levels of assault

2.0

1.5

1.7

Intermittent levels of assault

2.2

2.8

2.5

Note: Source 1996 BCS, CASI questionnaire.

Levels of lifetime chronic assault may be slightly under-estimated because (due to limitations imposed by the questionnaire

design) victims who had one or two incidents in the last year are classified as intermittent victims, even though they may

have experienced more incidents over their lifetime.

Chronic assault = three or more incidents. Intermittent = one or two incidents.

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RESEARCH FINDINGS

No. 86

THE NATURE OF ASSAULTS

Victims were asked to describe the most recent

incident they had experienced. Pushing, shoving and

grabbing was the most common type of force used

almost two-thirds of domestic assaults involved this.

The assailant kicked, slapped or hit the victim with

their fist in nearly half of incidents (47%). Throwing

objects at the victim was also fairly common (21%).

Less common were choking, strangling or

suffocating, but they did occur in nearly one in ten

assaults most commonly against women. Women

were also more likely to report being forced to have

sex 12% of chronic female victims. Weapons were

used to threaten or to attack in less than one in ten

incidents, although their use was more common

against chronic rather than intermittent victims.

Victims were injured in 41% of incidents. The most

common injuries were:

* bruising (35% of domestic assaults)

* scratches (18%)

* cuts (9%) and broken bones (2%).

Women were more likely to be injured (47%) than

men (31%). Chronic female victims reported injury in

58% of the most recent incidents, and they were the

most likely to seek medical help a fifth had done

so after the most recent incident.

Most of the incidents had upset the victim in some

way. Female victims were more likely to say they

had been very upset on the last occasion (90% of

chronic victims and 75% of intermittent). Although

only a fifth of male victims said they had been very

upset, it may be that men are more reluctant to admit

to this. Men and women differed even more in how

frightening they found assaults:

* chronic female victims (60% were very

frightened)

* intermittent female victims (26%)

* chronic male victims (5%)

* intermittent male victims (2%).

THE VICTIMS

The socio-demographic profiles and lifestyles of victims of domestic assault are shown below. Because

information collected about respondents may not have applied at the time they were last vicitimised, only

those experiencing domestic violence in the previous year are counted as `victims' here.

Sex

* 4.2% of both sexes reported an assault in the

last year but women's chances of serious

assault are greater than men's on average.

Age

* The under 25s were at greatest risk. 13% of

women and 9% of men aged 16 to 24 said they

had been assaulted by a partner within the last

y e a r .

* Although risks decrease with age, they do not

disappear. For both men and women, around

1% of the over-45s had been assaulted recently.

Employment status

* Women who worked outside the home were at

lower risk than those who were not earning. For

men, those working part-time were at highest risk.

Financial status

* The proportion of women assaulted by a partner

in the last year was highest in those households

with an income below £5,000 (10% were victims).

Risks for men were more evenly spread.

* Those living in households which were getting

into financial difficulties were at far higher risk

of domestic violence 10% of women and

12% of men in these households had been

assaulted in the previous year.

Children

* Overall, women with children in the household

were at higher risk. This was particularly evident

for women aged 30 to 59.

Ethnic group

* Aamongst women risks of domestic violence do

not differ significantly about 4% of all ethnic

groups said they had been victims in 1995.

Risks were higher for white men (4%) and black

men (3%) compared with Asian men (2%).

Marital status

* Women who described themselves as currently

separated from a partner they had been living

with were by far the most likely to have been

victims 22% had been assaulted at least once

in 1995. At lowest risk were married women

(2%) and women co-habiting (3%).

* Married men were also at lowest risk, but those

with the greatest risk were those co-habiting

(8%) rather than the separated.

Disability/ill health

* Over one in ten young men (aged 16 to 29)

with a long-standing illness or disability said

they had been assaulted in the previous year.

* Amongst women, only

limiting

d i s a b i l i t i e s

seemed to increase risk of assault (12% in

comparison with 8% for young women with no

long-standing illness/disability).

Alcohol and drugs

* Victims of domestic assault have far higher

levels of alcohol consumption than non-victims.

Drug users also reported higher levels of

domestic assault.

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Research, Development and Statistics Directorate 1999

RESEARCH FINDINGS

No. 86

`Research Findings' are produced by the Research, Development and Statistics Directorate. Series Editor:

Carole Byron. For further copies contact: Information and Publications Group, Room 201, Home Office, 50

Queen Anne's Gate, London SW1H 9AT. Telephone: 0171 273 2084.

ISSN 1364-6540

PRESENCE OF CHILDREN

Half of those who had suffered violence from a

partner or ex-partner in the previous year were

living with children under 16. They were asked

whether the children had seen or heard what had

happened during the last violent incident. Overall,

29% said the children had been aware of what was

going on. Children were much more often witnesses

to violence where the woman had suffered repeat

violence 45% of these women said their children

were aware of the last incident.

SUPPORT AND ADVICE

By its nature, domestic violence is often hidden from

public view and opportunities for intervention depend

largely on victims telling others about their

experiences. Over half the victims of a partner assault

said they had not told anyone about the last attack. Of

the 47% of victims who had told someone, nearly all

(45%) had told a friend or relative, even if they had

also told someone else.

The police were the next most likely to hear of

incidents, though only 11% of domestic assaults

occurring in the previous year had been reported to

them. Because sometimes previous assaults had

been reported, 17% of victims said the police were

aware they had been assaulted by a partner at

some time. Even so, clearly the police are not

aware of the vast majority of incidents or victims.

Few victims had talked to Victim Support, which in

part reflects the low level of reporting incidents to the

police. However, those who had done so rated them

highly in terms of the level of support and advice they

received. The proportion of domestic assault victims

contacting Victim Support is likely to increase with

the setting up in 1998 of a direct help line number. Of

particular concern in terms of support following an

assault are the chronic victims. Although a majority

of chronic female victims had told someone about

the last incident, a third had not. Men were less

likely to tell anyone two-thirds had not.

For those agencies which specifically target

`domestic violence victims', an important issue is

whether victims perceive themselves in this way.

When asked whether they thought their most recent

experience made them a `victim of domestic

violence', overall one-third agreed that it had. When

asked about lifetime experiences, 39% of victims

said they had been, in their judgement, victims of

domestic violence.

DISCUSSION

Traditionally, women have been viewed as the main

victims of domestic violence. This survey uncovered

relatively similar levels of recent domestic assault

for men and women within the past year. Are men,

then, equal victims? The findings suggest not. On

average, men were:

* less upset by their experience

* considerably less frightened

* less often injured

* less likely to seek medical help.

The effectiveness of targeting prevention,

intervention and support can be improved by

identifying the circumstances in which domestic

violence is most likely to occur. Although the BCS

cannot definitively state the causes of domestic

violence, the factors identified indicate the

importance of relationships under particular social

or economic strain. One implication is that agencies

which are already in contact with these groups of

people, such as the medical profession, may be in

the best position to identify and provide initial

support to victims.

Catriona Mirrlees-Black is Head of Crime Surveys in the Crime and Criminal Justice Unit. Carole Byron is

editor of Research Findings in the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate.

For a more detailed report, see

Domestic Violence: findings from a new British Crime Survey self-completion

q u e s t i o n n a i r e

by C Mirrlees-Black. (1998). Home Office Research Study No 192. London: Home Office.

Copies are available from Information and Publications Group (address below).

METHODOLOGICAL NOTE

The 1996 BCS interviews were conducted by Social and Community Planning Research (SCPR). The

overall BCS response rate was 83%, and 97% of respondents aged 16 to 59 (10,844) completed the CASI

questionnaire.

The Research, Development and Statistics Directorate is an integral part of the Home

Office, serving Ministers and the Department, its services, Parliament and the public

through research, development and statistics. Information and knowledge from these

sources informs policy development and the management of programmes; their

dissemination improves wider public understanding of matters of Home Office concern.