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DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: FINDINGS FROM THE 2000 SCOTTISH CRIME SURVEY
CHAPTER THREE: CHARACTERISTICS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN SCOTLAND
REGULARITY OF INCIDENTS
Threats were reported to have occurred more regularly than incidents of force. Of those respondents that reported how often they had experienced threats or force during 1999 11, 31% (n=25) reported that their partner or ex-partner threatened them at least once a week, while 22% (n=15) stated that force was used against them at least once a week during 1999. These figures tell us that there was a significant level of repeat victimisation taking place. Female victims were more likely to report repeat incidents of force and threats than male victims, with 36% of female and 18% of male victims reporting that threats had taken place at least once a week and 30% of female and 5% of male victims reporting that force had taken place at least once a week.
NATURE OF FORCE
The types of force that respondents had experienced was investigated. Respondents were asked to indicate whether their partner had done any of the following things since 1 January 1999:
- Deliberately damaged their property
- Pushed, shoved or grabbed them in any way
- Thrown something at them
- Threatened them with something (e.g. a stick or a knife)
- Choked, strangled or suffocated them
- Hit them with something (e.g. a stick)
- Stabbed them or cut them with something (e.g. a knife)
- Forced them to have sex when they did not want to or
- Something else
Of the respondents that provided details 12, 89% reported being pushed, shoved or grabbed (n=63), 64% reported having something thrown at them (n=45) and 47% reported having property deliberately damaged (n=35). Some types of force were more likely to be used on women than on men. For example, 41% of females victims (n=21) and 10% of male victims (n=1) reported having been choked or strangled. Similarly, 28% of female victims (n=14) and 5% of male victims (n=1) reported having been forced to have sex.
INJURIES SUSTAINED
Victims reported in 58% of cases (n=49) that injury had been sustained on at least one occasion as a result of force being used by a partner or ex-partner. Females were more likely to experience injury as a result of force being used than males, with 40 of the 58 women (61%) and 10 of the 20 men (50%) who responded to this question stating that they had sustained injuries on at least one occasion during 1999.
Figure 3.1 shows that the most common form of injury sustained was bruising/black eye, which was reported by 37 respondents.
Figure 3.1: Injuries sustained as a result of force
The majority of people (67%) who were injured did not visit a doctor or hospital as a result of injury. As before, gender differences are apparent here, with almost half (47%) of the women who had been injured visiting a doctor or hospital, while no men reported doing so. Although the information available is limited, it may be that more women visit doctors or hospitals as a result of injury due to the injuries they sustain being more extreme and therefore requiring medical assistance. Alternatively, there may be a greater sense of shame for men in admitting that they need medical assistance for an injury sustained as a result of violence from their partner. Perhaps for similar reasons, 42% (n=27) of female respondents compared with only 8% (n=3) of male respondents who had had force used against them by their partner or ex-partner, stated that the police had come to know about this.
PRESENCE OF CHILDREN
A new question was added to the 2000 survey which asked whether children had seen or heard any incidents of threats or force. Where this question was applicable 13, 58% (n=37) of victims reported that children had seen or heard an incident. A further 7% (n=4) stated that they did not know whether or not children had heard or seen any incidents.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERPETRATOR AND VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Respondents who had been victims of domestic violence in the last year were asked what their relationship was to the assailant at the time of the incident. Over half of the victims of threats or force (59%) reported that the perpetrator was their partner at the time of the incident 14.
Respondents were also asked whether the perpetrator was living with them when the incident took place. Fifteen per cent of respondents did not answer this question, however, where information was provided, two thirds of respondents (65%) reported that the perpetrator had been living with them at the time of the incident, while only 32% were still living with the perpetrator at the time of the survey.
There appears to be a disproportionate risk of domestic violence for those who are in contact with an ex-partner as compared to all respondents to the survey. The 2000 sweep of the SCS asked for the first time if respondents were in contact with their ex-partners during 1999. Of the 2% of respondents (n=73) who were in contact with an ex-partner during 1999, almost a quarter (23%) had experienced domestic violence 15. The disproportionate prevalence of domestic violence by those in contact with ex-partners explains why 41% of those who experienced domestic violence during 1999 said that the perpetrator was not their partner at the time of the incident.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RELATED TO DRINK AND DRUGS
New questions were added in the 1999 sweep of the SCS in order to establish whether perpetrators of domestic violence were under the influence of drink or drugs at the time of incidents taking place. In 62% of all cases of threats or force occurring in 1999 the perpetrator had been drinking alcohol, while in 32% of cases they had taken drugs. In 27% (n=22) of cases the perpetrator was reported to have used both alcohol and drugs. The majority of incidents (83%) involving drugs also involved alcohol.
VICTIMS' PERCEPTIONS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Respondents were asked a small number of questions on their perceptions of domestic violence. Those that had been the victim of either threats or force during 1999 were asked if they viewed the most recent incident as:
- a crime
- wrong but not a crime
- just something that happens
Of those that answered, there were mixed views on how the incident was perceived, with 30% viewing it as a crime and 32% as just something that happens. There were, however, clear gender differences in the perception of these incidents, with 54% (n=10) of male respondents viewing the incident as 'just something that happens' and 41% of females (n=24) viewing the incident as a crime (see Figure 3.2).
Figure 3.2: Perceptions of Domestic Violence, by sex
Nine percent (n=320) of all respondents to the self-completion questionnaire stated that they felt that they had been a victim of domestic violence at some time, with 15% (n=269) of female respondents and 4% (n=51) of male respondents holding this opinion.
Of those who reported having experienced either threats or force from a partner during 1999, just over half (58%) stated that they felt they had experienced domestic violence. Females (67%) were more likely to recognise incidents as domestic violence than males (39%).
Of the respondents who stated that they had ever been a victim of either threats or force, 66% (n=259) felt that they had been a victim of domestic violence. Again women (77%) were more likely to report this, than males (37%).
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