Domestic Abuse
WORDS: Rebecca Ransom
VIDEO: Ricard Gras
Young people under the age of 25 are most likely to be victims of domestic abuse in the city of Cardiff. In response to this, Cardiff Women’s Aid held workshops at Grassroots last week.
The workshops were to help young people recognise signs of domestic abuse, how to defend yourself and understand the cycle of violence. As part of the workshop the young women who attended - some former victims of domestic abuse - paired up for a quiz based on the statistics of domestic abuse. The prizes were personal attack alarms.
xOn average a woman is abused 35 times before she seeks help. In the UK, the police receive a complaint of domestic abuse every 60 seconds. Only 3% of all domestic abuse incidents end up with a conviction. Every 3 days a woman is killed by a violent partner / ex-partner.
Becky from Cardiff Women’s Aid who was leading the workshop explained how and why abuse occurs: "Abusers target you from the beginning to control you," said Becky. "They say on your first date that your hair would look nice up, so you wear it up all the time. They make remarks about other people wearing short skirts and revealing tops, so you decide to cover yourself up around your partner. Instantly they control how you look."
Through group tasks, the young women discovered how abusive partners think they own your mobile phone by reading texts, taking them off you and even abusing you with them. Abusers stop you seeing your friends and turn you against them by making up stories about them, convincing you that you don’t need them. You become isolated from friends and you feel you need to rely upon your partner.
Over the two days, a number of workshops were held to combat domestic abuse and to help young people get out of violent situations. Cardiff Women’s Aid wants to help people to realise abuse is not acceptable and victims are not alone.
For information and help go to www.cardiffwomensaid.org.uk or call the 24-hour emergency telephone on 029 2046 0566.
