The police recorded 65,251 incidents of domestic abuse in Scotland in 2020-21[i]. However, most cases of domestic abuse go unreported and the figures we have do not reveal the true extent of the problem[ii]. Where gender was recorded, four out of five victims were women. One in 5 children in the UK will have experienced domestic abuse by the time they reach 18[iii]. At least one child in every Primary 1 classroom will have lived with the impact of domestic abuse their whole lives.[iv] One in three young women (under 25) in Scotland report having been in an intimate relationship with someone who was abusive or harmed them physically or emotionally.[v]
[i] Scottish Government (2021) ‘Domestic abuse: statistics 2020-2021’
[ii] Scottish Government and COSLA (2008) National Domestic Abuse Delivery Plan for Children and Young People
[iii] Scottish Government and COSLA (2018) ‘Equally Safe: Scotland’s strategy to eradicate violence against women’
[iv] Save the Children (2006) ‘Safe Learning: How to support the educational needs of children and young people affected by domestic violence’.
[v] Scottish Women’s Aid and Young Women’s Movement Scotland, forthcoming publication (2022)
