Strategies and resources developed to support victims of domestic and sexual violence and abuse, stalking and harassment and violence against women and girls in Brighton & Hove.
The Pan Sussex Strategic Framework runs from 2020 to 2024.
It draws on evidence and recommendations set out in national strategies for addressing and preventing domestic and sexual abuse, as well as:
The strategy is focused around:
Linked to the strategy, the Community Safety and Crime Reduction Strategy 2023 to 2026 includes sections and associated action plans for:
Brighton & Hove has previously achieved 'White Ribbon' Status. Work is currently underway to refresh this accreditation.
Every year during the 16 Days of Action we work with partners to raise awareness of and encourage people to make a commitment to play their part in standing up to condemn, violence and abuse.
According to the Office for National Statistics in 2019 one in three women aged 16 to 59 will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime.
In its declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls, the UN states that the term
"violence against women" means any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.
It states that violence against women shall be understood to encompass, but not be limited to:
Violence against women is both a consequence of and a cause of inequality between men and women. As well as being a health problem of epidemic proportions, it's also a human rights problem of equal severity.
Depending on the violation, it can deprive a woman of:
Research states that nationally, about 1 in 6 heterosexual, men and 1 in 4 gay men will experience some form of domestic abuse or sexual violence in their lifetime.
Locally we know that commissioned domestic and sexual violence services report that around 8% of victims accessing services are male.
Historically, research, strategies and campaigns have mainly focused on women and therefore, a lot less is known about men’s experience. We know that patriarchy also negatively affects men, making it difficult for them to disclose domestic abuse for complex reasons, including real and perceived perceptions of male victims.
It can take over 25 years for a man to get help for an incidence such as childhood sexual abuse. This lack of specialist intervention and support can contribute to complex mental health issues and behaviours due to feelings of confusion, guilt and shame.
These not only affect the individual, but also their wider community through broader social issues such as:
We know that gender is not a protective factor of domestic and sexual violence and abuse. It is important to recognise that the impact of violence and abuse can affect the youngest of children; young people and into adulthood.
Our strategic approach, and therefore the services we provide, must recognise that whilst domestic and sexual violence and abuse are a gendered issue and perpetration is largely male oriented, the experience and impact on children is not.
Legislation such as the Joint Thematic Area Inspection Guidance on Children Affected by Domestic Violence and Abuse provides support to professionals to support focus on the needs of the child as an individual.
Find resources for professionals. We'll add more to this section as it is developed.
You can find information on: