There can be a tendency to assume that domestic abuse is limited to physical violence, perpetrated by men against women. However, Fife Adult Support and Protection are aiming to raise awareness of the issue as part of their wider role highlighting issues that affect adults in the Kingdom.
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The reality of domestic abuse is that it can reach into anybody’s life, and in a very wide range of forms.
We spoke to Fife’s Adult Support and Protection and MARAC (Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference) Coordinators to find about more about the campaign and how Fife is proactively tacking the issue of domestic abuse with an effective multi-agency approach.
Launching the campaign in Fife is particularly important as within Fife the number of incidents of domestic abuse recorded by police is higher than the Scottish national average.
Domestic abuse is a type of harm, it’s complex and requires a collective response to raising awareness and tackling it. Ultimately it is about helping people to understand domestic abuse is often more than just physical violence. It’s not always physical, and it can be very hidden, for example when the abuse is financial or psychological.
Increased awareness of domestic abuse
While the figures are concerning, they may also suggest that victims of domestic abuse within the Fife community are taking steps to report incidents and seek the help and support they need.
Fife’s MARAC Coordinator explained this further: “In Fife it feels that we are very proactive and strong in our response to domestic abuse. The kingdom-wide response involves a strategic partnership of different agencies including specialist support services, other third sector services, the local authority, police, education and the NHS, amongst many others and that’s really important. Domestic abuse is everybody’s business, and we recognise that in Fife.
“That puts us in a really good position when we’re responding to domestic abuse cases. That multi-agency partnership is key, especially in rural areas where all services may not be local or easily accessible. It gives victims the best chance to be correctly identified as such, and then get the help required to get safe.
“We have had a MARAC in Fife too for over a decade – this is where our very highest risk victims’ cases can be risk assessed and multiple agencies work together to make them and any children safer, whilst also holding the alleged perpetrator to account.
“With awareness of domestic abuse in Fife high, it is the hope that it is being acknowledged and correctly identified more and more, which could be a factor in the higher numbers of recorded incidents.”
Fife Adult Support and Protection Committee are hoping the campaign will further help to break down barriers that may prevent someone taking the first step in seeking the help they need. It is important that all areas of the council are domestic abuse informed, rather than this being left to one organisation or partnership. Working closely with the Fife Violence Against Women Partnership, allows expertise to be shared across Fife and through other channels.
Domestic abuse is not always physical
Domestic abuse can take many forms that sometimes makes it both complex and hard to spot. Depriving someone of prescribed drugs, threats of abandonment or harm, theft, fraud and exploitation, are just some of the forms of domestic abuse the team at Fife Adult Support and Protection encounter in their wider work.
An individual may not even realise they are a victim in a situation, as living day to day with an abusive partner may lead to someone believing their situation is ‘normal’, that they deserve it, or unaware that relationships can be different and non-abusive.
This can be an issue within younger adults and children, so educating young people to have an awareness of what constitutes a healthy relationship is a key area of business for services. However, evidence consistently shows that older people have often been under-represented in referrals or service engagement from those over 65 years old.
Fife’s Adult Protection Coordinator explained: “There can be relationships that have lasted 50 years, and the victim might not see the situation as abusive. They deem it to be normal life, but it wouldn’t be normal life to someone of a different generation.
“Domestic abuse amongst older adults is becoming more prominent and recognised and it’s something we need to be aware of regarding both vulnerable adults and older people.
“It can affect anybody of course, and it’s far more likely to be a woman that it happens to, but instances involving older adults of any gender are something we’re trying to be more aware of in Fife because it can be difficult to respond to.
“That’s why our multi-agency approach is really essential. One person’s experience of domestic abuse may be very different from someone else’s and so having multiple agencies and expertise allows victims to best find a service that suits their needs and feels right for them”.
Breaking down barriers
It is true the key risk factor for experiencing domestic abuse is being female, but anyone can be a victim, at any time in their life, and those experiencing domestic abuse may be reluctant to disclose what is happening to them for a range of reasons.
Fife Adult Support and Protection Committee are keen to assure people of the confidential, trustworthy, support that they can access, and emphasise that so much of the support out there is victim-led.
Keen to stress that the process of disclosing a potential domestic abuse situation is very much led by the victim, Fife’s MARAC Coordinator said: “When we work with someone who may be a victim, we take into account their own views on the situation and we will accept that.
“We will always work with them in the confines of how they view their relationship and their history and be honest and open about where the line is between disclosing something that can stay in their control, and what would be a matter of child protection or MARAC-level public protection risk. It’s about making sure people have access to the right services and information if they wish to change the situation they are in.”
If you are wanting to seek help or advice for yourself or someone you know, accessing the resources below can be a first step.
Adult Support and Protection Committee.
Visit the Fife Violence Against Women Partnership’s website, with signposting to relevant local services.
Keep up to date with campaigns and events at Fife Council by following on Facebook or Instagram.
