Refuge and England Netball

Refuge is England Netball’s official charity partner

Established in 1971, Refuge is the country’s largest single provider of specialist accommodation and support for women and children escaping domestic violence – a national "lifeline" for up to 80,000 women and children every year.

Refuge provides safe, emergency accommodation through a growing network of refuges throughout the UK and runs a 24 hour national domestic violence freephone helpline (0808 2000 247), in partnership with Women’s Aid.

It also offers services for children, plus individual and group counselling for abused women and community-based outreach services for women including specialist services for minority ethnic communities.

For general enquiries about Refuge, click here www.refuge.org.uk or call 020 7395 7700 for further information. (Registered charity number 277424).

With two women being killed every week in England and Wales by a current of former partner, national domestic violence charity Refuge has launched a hard hitting early warning signs domestic violence campaign to save lives.  The early warning signs campaign launches in the press today (05/08/08) and on poster sites later this month*.  

Domestic violence is the biggest social issue affecting women in the country today - it is an issue which not only takes lives but ruins lives in great number.  Refuge’s campaign will help women recognise the early warning signs of domestic violence and in so doing prevent them from a life time of abuse.

Research, also released today by Refuge, highlights a worrying lack of awareness amongst women of the techniques used by violent men to control women.   However, domestic violence is a subject matter that young women are crying out to learn more about.

The research shows that:

•  81% of women said they received no information about domestic violence when they were at school and two thirds of them would have liked to have had lessons about domestic violence

•  95% of respondents recognised physical abuse as domestic violence but only a quarter of respondents understood the more subtle techniques of control such as jealousy and possessiveness as indicators of domestic violence

•  And yet approximately a quarter of all the women questioned had experienced jealousy and possessiveness in an intimate partner relationship

•  50% of respondents said they had experienced at least one of the warning signs

•  Of this 50% just over a third of respondents said they had spoken to someone about the abuse - friends, followed by family, were the most trusted confidantes

(Yougov/Refuge research, sample size 513, 18-21 year old women, 15-21 July 2008)

Sandra Horley, OBE and chief executive of Refuge, says: "Two women are killed every week by a current or former partner.  This is a huge statistic and one that we need to start addressing - and addressing fast if we're to save lives and protect young women in the future.  

"It is essential that women receive the right education and information so they can understand the techniques of control frequently used by abusive men.  It's all too easy for women to excuse their partner's possessive and jealous behaviour - but in so doing they run the risk of the abuse increasing in frequency and severity over time.  By understanding the signs early a woman is forewarned and forearmed.  

"I am heartened to see that so many women would welcome this vital education.  Refuge urges the government to put domestic violence education and awareness as a top priority - and in so doing we will save lives."