Almost quarter of all people in UK know a woman who has been abused in the last year

Nearly a quarter of us know a woman or girl who has been a victim of domestic abuse over the past year, an exclusive survey for Metro found.

A shocking 20% also confirmed they had seen or heard it happen in the same period. And 39% confirmed of they know a woman or girl victim of sexual harassment.

The Ipsos UK survey was commissioned for Metro’s year-long This Is Not Right campaign, which is shining a light on the scale of violence against women and girls.

Metro and Ipsos UK also found that worryingly large numbers of Brits were aware of, or had seen or heard of women and girls in their life being a victim of sexual harassment (39%), sexual violence (34%), stalking (32%) and taking/sharing intimate images without consent (30%).

Alongside this, the research gathered opinions on the phrase ‘not all men’, attitudes to VAWG, the barriers that women face in getting justice, and the role the media has to play in bringing about the end of this national emergency.

Around 100 women are killed by men each year – often one closest to them.

At least 10 women are thought to have been killed by men since the start of the year.

‘The data released by Metro today shows that violence against women and girls continues to be a national emergency’, says Farah Nazeer, Chief Executive of Women’s Aid.

‘One in four respondents said they personally know someone who has been affected by domestic abuse in the last 12 months, yet at Women’s Aid we know fewer than one in 10 received support through a refuge or community-based service.’

The scale of the problem

Reacting to the Ipsos UK findings, Metro editors Jess Austin and Lucy Mapstone, who launched the This is Not Right campaign in November, said: ‘During the course of our violence against women research, we have read some incredibly stark stats; we oscillate between disbelief and rage over the figures we come across daily.

‘Our own research with Ipsos UK only backs up and shines a more damning light on the trends we have seen. We know violence against women has risen and recent years; now we can see that the public recognise this, too.

‘What alarms us, however, is how many people surveyed not only knew of someone experiencing VAWG last year, but had also witnessed it happen. That 41% were aware of a woman or girl in their life being subject to domestic abuse in the past 12 months is devastating.

‘We can only hope that these women are getting the support they need. We also know that domestic abuse does not just hurt the victim-survivor, but their children, and we hope that they too find safety.

‘These figures demonstrate exactly why we are running this campaign and, considering 67% of respondents say traditional media has a responsibility to help reduce VAWG, we are determined to do all we can.’

The findings

Ipsos UK, who surveyed 1,092 people in January, found that 51% of people thought VAWG was increasing in the UK, with 47% believing levels of misogyny were going up, and 40% agreeing that VAWG is becoming more normalised.

Metro also looked into the use of the divisive phrase ‘not all men’, which is often used in reply to stories about VAWG – with 42% of respondents saying it is a ‘reminder that not all men are harmful’.

However, 13% believe its use limits conversations about harm and safety, with 10% thinking it prioritises men’s interests over women’s safety.

Unsurprisingly, ‘not all men’ is predominantly used by those aged 18-34 (72%), with only 43% of 35-54s using it, and dropping to 32% for those under 75.

Somewhat unexpectedly, it is more common for women to use ‘not all men’, with 40% of them admitting to using it often or sometimes, compared to 36% for men.

Other areas examined by the study included the what Brits thought the biggest barriers were to reducing VAWG.

The three most common answers referred to the justice system, with three in 10 saying it’s down to police not always being able to build prosecutable cases.

Of those surveyed, 28% think criminal sentences for those who commit these offences being too light is a factor; 24% think it’s down to victims being unwilling to report violent offenses against them to the police; and 22% blame courts taking too long to deal with these cases.

The latter comes on the back of news just this week that there will be more funding for judges as there are currently 73,000 unresolved prosecutions, with crimes taking place today not going to trial until as late as 2027.

This same theme continued later in the polling, where 60% opined that the justice system’s response to VAWG is ineffective at tackling these crimes, with 55% believing the same of the police’s response.

Abigail Ampofo, the interim CEO of Refuge, said ‘From court delays to the police failing to root out perpetrators within their own ranks, it is no wonder the majority of people believe the justice system’s response to VAWG is ineffective.

‘As the largest specialist domestic abuse service provider in England, we know all too well survivors are being failed by the justice system on a regular basis.

‘This data highlights the need for a significant reform of the justice system to improve outcomes for survivors, alongside a major societal shift. This may seem like a huge feat, but we all have the power to bring about positive change – simply by starting conversations and listening to survivor voices.’

She adds: ‘While Metro’s new data is a troubling, it is a much-needed reminder, that VAWG is at epidemic levels.’

‘With 1 in 4 women experiencing domestic abuse in their lifetime, it is sadly not surprising to see a quarter of respondents say they personally know a woman or girl who has been affected by domestic abuse in the past year.

‘Like many respondents, Refuge is highly aware that misogyny is becoming increasingly commonplace in our society. While much of this is playing out in the digital space, we must acknowledge that misogyny has real consequences for the safety of women and girls. ‘

Farah Nazeer agrees, adding: ‘In order to overcome this epidemic, we need a whole system approach which addresses male-violence at the core, challenging the harmful attitudes and beliefs that underpin abuse.

‘We need urgent action to plug this critical gap in support and save lives.

‘Whilst we welcome the government’s commitment to halve violence against women in a decade, we need them to meet their commitment by providing sustainable funding for the lifesaving specialist services that survivors rely on.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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