Why Change That Lasts?
Why we need a new model
For many women, no one listens to them when they first disclose domestic abuse. No one asks them about how to stop the abuse, despite the fact that nobody knows their abuser better than they do. They are the expert in their situation.
Often women are assessed by domestic abuse professionals for risk, and then divided into categories. Those at ‘standard’ or ‘medium’ risk are left to fend for themselves, or offered to be placed on a waiting list for services with little or no support to escape their abuser. We also know that women are at significant risk at the point of separation from an abusive partner, as shown by the Femicide Census. 76% of women killed by their ex-partner or ex-spouse were killed within the first year that followed their separation. Unsurprisingly, many women struggle to escape the abuse permanently, build their independence, and get their lives back.