The importance of training for police attending incidents of domestic violence

By Natalie Gosling

Many people are unable to understand the torment that a person is living with when they are in an abusive relationship.  During my experience of living in this sort of relationship, I soon found out that if I reported an incident to the police the officers who arrived may well be untrained in domestic violence.  Abusive relationships are complex but I believe that they often follow a familiar pattern designed by the perpetrator to prevent their victim being able to talk about what is happening. For me, it was frustrating. I couldn’t explain what had just happened or how there was a continuing pattern of abuse.  A police officer trained in domestic violence would know immediately when they arrived at the scene what both sides were trying to say.  But instead so many people who are being abused will be left, like I was, exhausted by the constant struggle to explain what has been happening to a stream of different police officers.   None of whom have the specialist knowledge that would enable them to understand.

Domestic violence, constant fear and uncertainty go hand in hand

By Natalie Gosling

It was International Happiness Day on Friday the 20th of March. For someone who is experiencing domestic violence it can be hard to find happiness.
Living in fear of a boyfriend, partner or husband can be debilitating; every minute is spent not knowing when this person will explode with anger and attack.

International Women’s Day at the Respond Academy

By Lucette Davies

Today is International Women’s Day and thousands of groups around the world will have been organising events to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women.

The Respond Academy in St Leonards  organised a day of events for women and girls that started off with a talk on one of the most important subjects in the lives of so many women and that is domestic violence.