Every week, two women are killed through domestic violence in Wales and one in three children on the Child Protection register live in households where domestic abuse occurs.
These shocking statistics prove that we need to introduce more sustainable measures to help stop domestic violence. Therefore, in the wake of Cardiff Women’s Aid’s 40th Anniversary, their policies will be evolving from responsive to preventative.
The charity supports women who have been affected by domestic abuse. They offer safe refuge and a 24-hour emergency helpline. Although these policies are effective in helping in the fight against domestic violence, Women’s Aid want to go further.
In an attempt to end domestic violence, Cardiff Women’s Aid are developing strategies to prevent any form of violence in the family home.
They believe they can do this through educating children about relationships and informing GP’s on how they can identify the signs of domestic abuse.
Charity develops new schemes
Gender-based violence, domestic abuse and sexual violence impact the lives of those who directly experience the abuse as well as the children who witness it.
Cardiff Women’s Aid want to stop domestic violence in Wales. They plan to do this by educating children about relationships and to implement the Identification and Referral to Safety Scheme (IRIS) in Cardiff GP surgeries.
Rachel Minto, director of Cardiff Women’s Aid, is an avid believer in developing an education for people about domestic abuse. She understands that “We need to intervene upstream and stop domestic violence at its roots. We can do this by educating children about healthy relationships and consensual sex.”
Safe As, is the Children and Young People’s team at Cardiff Women’s Aid. The group work with children and young people up to the age of 25, who have witnessed or have been affected by domestic violence.
The team help children understand their experiences and help support the children and their mothers.
Local government supports policies
The government supports Women’s Aid attempts to educate children about relationships. The Welsh Government has adopted the Right to be Safe scheme which works hand in hand with the charity’s education scheme.
By comparing safe with potentially abusive relationships, schools will be able to educate children on how to recognize the signs. Identify potential risks and how to seek help.
The government emphasises the importance of sharing examples of healthy relationships and acceptable behaviour. This enables them to make informed choices before they enter into relationships themselves.
The new scheme for GP surgeries
As well as educating children about domestic abuse, GPs need to learn how to spot the signs of violence.
Championed by Women’s Aid, the IRIS scheme will help identify cases of domestic violence by increasing GP’s involvement in the referral of abuse victims.
GPs and health care professionals are key points of contact for women who are experiencing domestic abuse. They also play a vital role in supporting women who need to leave the family home.
The scheme helps GPs understand the first signs of domestic violence so that they are able to refer the women to Women’s Aid who will offer support, advice and help.
“The GPs under the IRIS scheme now know how to ask their patients about the abuse, how to give a key message, carry out brief risk assessments and safety checks. They want to know where to refer their patients for specialist support,” said Medina Johnson an IRIS implementation officer.
IRIS has been adopted in a number of surgeries across England and Wales and will be introduced to our city’s GP’s in 2015.
A victim of domestic abuse, who wishes to remain anonymous, describes how her GP played a vital role in helping her to understand that domestic violence is unacceptable and told her of the support paths available to her. “My GP was the one who forced me to recognise that the marks on my body weren’t acceptable. She showed me where to go for help, so the pain would stop and my body and mind could heal.”
Website launch and year of activities
Women’s Aid will be launching a new website in the New Year. Morgan Fackrell CEO of Cardiff Women’s Aid, believes that the website will be “fresh, simple and informative.” The website will reinvent and rejuvenate Women Aid synonymous with their new and innovative schemes.
Morgan also wants to commemorate Cardiff Women’s Aid 40th Anniversary with a year of events.
The celebrations will be announced in the New Year. This will help spread awareness of domestic abuse. So women and children who have been affected by violence know that they are not alone.
With these new innovative policies in place, women can now look to the future with hope.
There is hope for the children, that they will be able to make good relationship choices. There is hope for victims of abuse to recover and rebuild their lives.
And now, they will have the support of their GPs, who will be able to offer guidance as well as care. Now there is united hope, that one day, domestic violence will be eradicated completely.
Video describing the impacts of domestic abuse, produced by Women’s Aid
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