Abuse is a subject that people would rather avoid speaking about, which is understandable. However, the repercussions of this can involve a misunderstanding of the subject, as well as knowing how to get help or how to support someone.
Definition and types of abuse
Abuse encompasses the poor treatment of another individual and can manifest in different ways. This can involve verbal, physical, emotional, sexual or financial abuse. Abuse can also be categorised as domestic abuse or child abuse.
Prevalence of abuse
Abuse is widely underreported, which means that any figures that do exist are likely not a reflection of the full picture. This could be due to stigma, risk of backlash from the abuser, blackmail, dependency on the abuser or a risk of financial insecurity amongst other things.
The Crime Survey for England and Wales estimated that 2.4 million adults aged 16 years and over experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2022 alone. According to Statista, between 2022 and 2023, there have been 32,961 child abuse offences recorded by the police in England and Wales, which is a peak for this type of offence.
Debunking common myths about abuse:
Myth: “Abuse only happens in certain demographics.”
Fact: In the same domestic abuse survey by the CSEW, it showed that 1.7 million women and 699,000 men were included in this figure, highlighting that both men and women can be impacted, despite assumptions of domestic abuse impacting female victims. Looking at statistics, it’s also clear that abuse happens to individuals across a variety of ethnicities.
Myth: “Abuse is a private matter; it’s not our business.”
Fact: Intervention from others is key to freeing victims from abusive scenarios. Community involvement is essential, as it helps victims to fall back on support and help give them the courage to leave their abusive situation, often in the knowledge that there is emotional or financial support.
Myth: “Abusers are always violent and aggressive.”
Fact: While this may not be the expectation, many abusers can be charismatic and likeable on the surface, which makes the situation harder for victims. As well as this, abusers use manipulation or coercion to control another individual, which can result in a delayed awareness of what is happening. This also makes it harder for outsiders to identify any issues.
Myth: “Victims of abuse are weak or provoke the abuse.”
Fact: Victim-blaming attitudes are extremely unhelpful, as they do nothing to stop abusers from taking accountability for their actions. Nobody deserves to be on the receiving end of abuse, no matter who they are as a person.
Myth: “Leaving an abusive relationship is easy.”
Fact: Leaving an abusive situation is far from easy. You could have financial or family ties for example. This might involve sharing children or pets, as well as a home and other assets. Simultaneously, you may not have a safe place to go, even if you could leave.
Effects of abuse:
There can be several long-term consequences of abuse, ranging from PTSD to trauma, or even physical injuries. There is also a possibility of perpetuating cycles of violence, whereby some experts think that exposure to violence in early life can increase the likelihood of violence as someone grows older.
How to help and support:
It can be tricky to know where to begin when supporting a victim of abuse, but a good place to start is by helping someone access professional support. This might involve legal support in the form of abuse claims to help the victim gain compensation. On top of this, several different charities provide support for abuse victims. You can find an extensive list on the Mind website.
Listening to someone and validating their issues can be a huge weight off someone’s shoulders. Active listening is key to this and involves being wholly present and focusing on what the other person is saying.