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DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: FINDINGS FROM THE 2000 SCOTTISH CRIME SURVEY

CHAPTER TWO: THE EXTENT OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN SCOTLAND

While the SCS is the largest survey of the extent of domestic violence in Scotland, other work has been undertaken that examines domestic violence either more locally or more qualitatively, giving information on the context and circumstances within which domestic violence occurs. The wide range of studies on this subject provides information on a variety of aspects of the experience of domestic violence, while also offering differing estimates of the extent of domestic violence, depending on the measuring system used.

POLICE STATISTICS

The Scottish Executive collects statistics on the extent of domestic abuse reported to the police in Scotland ³. There were 26,000 incidents of domestic violence reported to the police between April and December 1999 ⁴. The majority of incidents recorded (57%) comprised behaviour that did not lead to the recording of a crime or offence. The most common occurrence, where a crime or offence was recorded, was a charge of petty assault (21% of incidents) or breach of the peace (18% of incidents). Crimes, which are generally regarded as more serious than offences, were only recorded in respect of 5% of all incidents. Across Scotland as a whole, the incidence of domestic abuse reported to the police was 529 cases per 100,000 population (Scottish Executive, 2000a).

Where the victim's sex was recorded, 93% of incidents of domestic abuse involved a female victim. Where the perpetrator's sex was recorded, 93% were male. Overall, incidents with a female victim and a male perpetrator represented 92% of all incidents of domestic abuse. One third of reports represented a known repeat victimisation. Half (51%) of the recorded incidents involved cohabiting couples, in 29% of cases the victim and perpetrator had previously been in a relationship but this had broken down, and in 20% of cases the victim and perpetrator were in an on-going relationship but were not cohabiting. The overwhelming majority of incidents took place within the home (93% of incidents where the location was recorded). This was most likely if the victim and perpetrator were cohabiting (96%), while in other forms of relationship the proportion of incidents taking place in the home was around 90% (Scottish Executive, 2000a).

OTHER STUDIES

A large number of ad hoc studies have been undertaken which attempt to offer more localised analysis of domestic violence, or which focus on the violence experienced by specific groups of women. These studies offer a more qualitative account of the experience of domestic violence and thus complement crime survey findings, which focus more on general population trends.

The Scottish Needs Assessment Programme (SNAP) undertook a study in 1997 to look at the experience of domestic violence as a public health issue. This study highlighted that prevalence rates seem to be changing over time with changes in data collection methods and attitudes. They cite several studies to illustrate this point: in 1975 the House of Commons Select Committee on Marriage estimated that approximately 1% of married women experienced violence from their partner; in 1983 Dobash and Dobash estimated that between 1 in 5 and 1 in 3 of all married women experienced violence from their partner; in 1992 the British Crime Survey found that 11% of women who had ever lived with a partner reported physical violence against them in their relationship (by 1996 this had increased to 23%); and in 1993 Mooney found that 12% of women in her study undertaken in North London had experienced physical violence, 8% had been injured in their relationship and 12% had experienced mental cruelty within the last twelve months. SNAP attempted to predict from these findings the extent of domestic violence occurring in Scotland, stating that "as many as 260,000 to 700,000 Scottish women may be experiencing domestic violence" (SNAP 1997, p.9).

A Scottish Office report 'Hitting Home' found that half of women victims of homicide in Scotland were killed by their partners. This report also outlined that during 1994/5 Women's Aid groups in Scotland received 35,081 requests for help, an increase of 9,149 or 35% on the previous year's figure. In the following year (to 31.3.96) the figure rose again to 41,629. It is acknowledged that this increase may relate to increased knowledge and confidence on the part of victims. However, it is also stated that the incidence of domestic violence is far greater than official records can show (Scottish Office 1997). A study undertaken in Edinburgh in 1997 focusing on women's safety found that 5% of the women in the study had been physically assaulted (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, hair pulled) by their partner in the last year. In addition, 23% reported that they had been assaulted at some time by a partner. One in five victims of domestic violence reported that they had been subjected to repeated physical assault by a partner (City of Edinburgh Council, 1997).

Outlining the differences in findings from this range of studies illustrates the importance of using caution when drawing conclusions about the true extent of domestic violence in Scotland, as different measuring systems will result in different outcomes being reported.

FINDINGS FROM THE SCOTTISH CRIME SURVEY MAIN INTERVIEW (FACE-TO-FACE)

According to the findings in SCS 2000, violent crime in general is still very rare in Scotland, with only 3% of SCS respondents having experienced a violent crime during 1999. Nevertheless, the experience of violent crime can have a major physical and emotional impact on victims, as well as contributing to feelings of anxiety and concern about personal safety within the population more generally.

Men were more likely to report being the victim of a violent crime during 1999 (5%) than women (2%). However, there were clear differences in the type of violent crime reported by men and women. Violent crimes recorded in the main survey are grouped to provide a typology of violence according to the relationship between the assailant(s) and the victim. This was originally developed by the Home Office for the 1996 British Crime Survey.

As Figure 2.1 shows, men were most likely to experience acquaintance and stranger violence (79% of violent crime experienced by men), while women predominantly reported experiencing violence within a domestic setting (64% of violent crime experienced by women).

Figure 2.1: Types of violent crime experienced by men and women in 1999

Figure 2.2 shows that domestic violence accounted for 23% of all violent crime reported to the SCS in 1999. This represents an increase in the percentage of domestic violence as a proportion of all violent crime being reported to the SCS, from a previous figure of 16% in 1995. This is likely to be as a result of the new domestic violence 'screener' question ⁶ which was introduced to the survey for the first time in 2000. This had the effect of increasing the overall level of violence reported to the survey by 10%, while also increasing the share of all violent crimes accounted for by domestic violence.

Figure 2.2: Composition of violent crime in 1999 and 1995

In 1995 domestic violence accounted for 30% of all violent crimes reported by women. In 1999 this figure rose to 64%. Most of the rise in the proportion of violent crimes categorised as 'domestic' is due to an increase in the percentage of women reporting this type of crime. As before, this change can largely be attributed to the addition in 2000 of the domestic violence 'screener' question.

Figure 2.3: Composition of violent crimes against women 1999 and 1995

FINDINGS FROM THE SELF-COMPLETION QUESTIONNAIRE

The SCS self-completion questionnaire gathers detailed information on the prevalence of domestic violence experienced by people aged between 16 and 59 years, focusing on incidents by partners and ex-partners only. The remainder of this report concentrates on the findings from this part of the survey.

There were 2,680 respondents aged 16-59 to the self-completion questionnaire in the 2000 SCS. With the focus in this part of the survey on 'domestic' violence perpetuated by 'partners', respondents were asked at the outset whether they had had a partner or contact with an ex-partner since 1 January 1999. Three percent of respondents did not answer this question. Of those that did answer, 67% said they had had a partner during this period. A further 2% had had contact with an ex-partner and 31% had had no partner during this period. The analysis that follows is based on the 69% of respondents who had had a partner or contact with an ex-partner (n=1,876).

EXPERIENCE OF TREATS AND FORCE IN THE LAST YEAR

Respondents who stated that they had had a partner or contact with an ex-partner since 1 January 1999 were asked if this person had done either of the following things to them during that period:

• said threatening things to them (such as threatening to harm them or someone close to them, such as their children), and
• used force towards them (including grabbing, pushing, shaking, hitting, kicking, etc.) ⁷.

Four percent (n=83) of respondents reported that they had been threatened by their partner or ex-partner during 1999 and 4% (n=78) had had force used against them. Four percent (n=95) had had either threats or force used against them and 3% (n=66) reported that both threats and force had been used against them ⁸. There is a high degree of overlap in the experience of threats and force according to these findings, with 81% of those who had experienced either threats or force, having experienced both.

Women were more likely than men to report threats and force from their partners or ex-partners. Five percent (n=64) of women and 2% (n=19) of men said that threats had been used against them, while 5% (n=57) of women and 2% (n=21) of men reported that force had been used against them. Six percent (n=71) of women and 3% (n=24) of men reported being the victim of either threats or force during 1999 and 4% (n=50) of women and 2% (n=16) of men reported being the victim of both threats and force.

Young people were the most likely from all age groups represented in the survey to report threats and force, with 7% of 16 to 24 year olds, 5% of 25 to 44 year olds and 2% of 45 to 59 year olds reporting that they had had either threats or force used against them by a partner or ex-partner during 1999 ⁹. Young women were the most likely to report being victims of either threats or force, with 9% of females respondents aged 16 to 24 stating that they had experienced either threats or force from a partner or ex-partner. The higher level of reporting of incidents of threats or force by young people may be due in part to this group being more willing to disclose incidents of this type.

Figure 2.4: Experience of threats or force during 1999, by age and sex

EXPERIENCE OF THREATS OR FORCE 'EVER'

Respondents were asked whether they had had a partner prior to 1999 and if so whether their partner had ever used threats or force against them prior to 1999. Combining the findings from this part of the questionnaire with those for 1999 shows the prevalence of domestic violence by a partner across a much greater time frame.

Of those that stated they had had a partner or contact with an ex-partner during either time frame ¹⁰ (n=2,368), 9% declined to answer whether they had experienced threats or force from them at any time. Of those that did answer, 13% reported having had either threats or force used against them, while 10% reported that both had occurred at some time. Women were more likely than men to report incidents of threats or force: 16% (n=254) of women and 6% (n=64) of men reported that they had ever experienced threats; 17% (n=269) of women and 7% (n=82) of men reported that they had ever experienced force. Nineteen percent of women (n=292) and 8% (n=89) of men reported having experienced either threats or force, while 15% of women (n=231) and 5% of men (n=57) reported having experienced both threats and force at some time.

Although women were generally more likely to have experienced threats and force at any time, those aged 45 to 59 years were least likely to report either type of incident as occurring. Figure 2.5 shows that incidents of threats or force were reported less by older people than other age groups, while those aged 25 to 44 years reported the highest prevalence levels. Incidents that took place only in 1999, discussed earlier, showed that young people were most likely to report incidents of domestic violence. We see here that incidents that have occurred ever are most commonly reported by those aged 25 to 44 years. The reason for this difference in outcomes may relate to younger people being exposed for the first time to domestic violence in the past year, but not yet having long enough relationship histories to have experienced domestic violence over a longer time frame. The reason that older women (45 to 59 years) are less likely to report domestic violence could relate to a lower level of willingness to admit to domestic violence. Alternatively incidents that happened in the past may now be forgotten.

Figure 2.5: Experience of threats or force ever

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