White Ribbon Day – today – commences the global 16 days of action to end Violence Against Women and Girls. Charity Crimestoppers is working with Derbyshire Police, Rural Action Derby’s Willow Project and The Elm Foundation to raise awareness of coercive control, an aspect of domestic abuse. Coercive control is an act or a pattern of acts of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation or other abuse that is used to harm, punish, or frighten a victim.
This controlling behaviour is designed to make a person dependent by isolating them from support, exploiting them, depriving them of independence and regulating their everyday behaviour.
Domestic abuse can take many forms, it can be physical, psychological, emotional, sexual or financial and any adult can be a perpetrator, with 1 in 4 reoffending. It affects 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men during their lifetime. Statistics also show that 1 in 5 children witness domestic abuse, which can have a devastating impact on their lives and ability to reach their full potential.
To report domestic abuse 100% anonymously, visit Crimestoppers-uk.org and fill in a simple and secure anonymous online form or call the Crimestoppers 24/7 UK Contact Centre on freephone 0800 555 111, 365 days of the year. In an emergency, always call 999.
You may be a witness – such as a neighbour, friend, family member or work colleague – who has overheard or seen behaviour or arguments that may be a sign of domestic abuse. If so, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
When you contact Crimestoppers, a team of professionals at their national Contact Centre anonymise all information received – to ensure the person giving the details can never be identified – before passing it on to police to investigate and safeguard. Whether it is a neighbour, friend, work colleague or relative, no one will ever know who provided the information.
Previous Crimestoppers domestic abuse lockdown campaigns and appeals last year saw numerous victims safeguarded and action taken against perpetrators as a result of anonymous information the charity received and passed on.
Lydia Patsalides, East Midlands Regional Manager at the charity Crimestoppers, said:
“Everyday people contact us with poignant stories anonymously when they think domestic abuse is happening. Victims may be too scared and traumatised to seek help. We know that a victim typically endures up to 35 assaults before having the strength to speak up, and that can be for many different reasons; fear of losing their children; fear of losing their home; fear of not being believed; even thoughts that they are somehow to blame.
“The amazing people of Derbyshire have already done so much – so many have bravely reported their concerns about domestic abuse in the past year. Some may feel unsure about reporting to police. Crimestoppers provides a safe and anonymous way to speak up about suspicions. I’m sure as we continue to spread the message that we can take information 100% anonymously, we can help save even more lives.”
“Information, given to our charity by people from across Derbyshire, helps police halt abuse and violence in the home. By working together we can help stop domestic abuse and save lives.”
Report domestic abuse 100% anonymously to Crimestoppers by visiting Crimestoppers-uk.org and filling in a simple and secure anonymous online form or call the 24/7 UK Contact Centre on freephone 0800 555 111, 365 days of the year – always call 999 in an emergency.
Please note: Computer IP addresses are never tracked at Crimestoppers and no-one will ever know you contacted the charity. For telephone calls, there is no caller line display, no 1471 facility and a call has never been traced.
