People experiencing domestic abuse and living with their abusers are at an increased risk during the UK’s coronavirus lockdown.  Many face an increased risk of domestic abuse and violence and will have lost their opportunity to reach out to friends, family members, and other support networks, with perpetrators using lockdown and isolation as a new means of exerting control over their victim.

 

Domestic violence and abuse can also involve control, coercion, threats and stalking which can be carried out through email, text and phone messages (known as technology mediated violence and abuse). Research on online domestic abuse by Women’s’ Aid showed that for 85% of respondents the abuse they received online from a partner or ex-partner was part of a pattern of abuse they also experienced offline.

 

As students and staff may be cohabiting with family, other students or partners, this raises the potential for an increase in incidents of online harassment including cyberbully, cyberstalking and image-based abuse such as ‘revenge pornography’ in the home.

 

As well as the increased risk to students and staff by friends and family, the unanticipated ‘jump’ online may increase technology mediated violence and abuse between staff, students, or between staff and students. Communicating from private rather than public spaces (the home rather than the university), using technology such as private mobile phones, and an increased use of work based social media accounts to communicate to students may create a sense of social closeness that can be exploited. Power dynamics may be less visible than in the classroom environment, and those being targeted may (wrongly) feel more to blame and feel less able to seek support. Ultimately, the full implications of this way of working on violence and abuse are likely to take some time to become known.  The government has published a briefing on staying safe online during the coronavirus outbreak.

 

The government's campaign also highlights that those experiencing domestic abuse are able to leave the home and seek help at refuges.  This includes students living in private rented accommodation or student halls.  This means that students and staff should not be fined by police for travel under these circumstances. 

 

Women, men and their children travelling to refuge accommodation while coronavirus lockdown measures are in force can still apply for free train travel through a partnership between train companies and Women’s Aid. Tickets can be accessed through the member services of Women’s Aid Federation of England, Welsh Women’s Aid, Scottish Women’s Aid and Imkaan (addressing violence against Black and minoritised women and girls), once an offer of a refuge place has been received.

 

To obtain a free rail ticket an individual should get in touch with their local domestic violence service (which can be found at womensaid.org.uk/domestic-abusedirectory/) and the service can request the tickets on behalf of the person.

This industry-wide scheme follows the successful launch of similar initiatives by South Eastern Rail – the ‘Rail to Refuge’ scheme introduced in 2019, which Great Western Railway also joined in March 2020 as part of its celebration of International Women’s Day.

 

Those in full-time education, international students and those with savings around

£16,000 or more, are not typically eligible for housing benefit and this is the most usual way to access refuge, however, it is not the case that a student must be in receipt of housing benefit to access refuge. Most refuges will work with people on a case-by-case basis and will usually find a way if they have space.

 

Support for those who feel they are at risk of abuse

 

• National Domestic Abuse Helpline

            Tel: 0808 2000 247 available 24 hours a day

 

• Refuge has a web form which can be used to request a safe time for a call from a member of the expert helpline team.

 

• GALOP - National LGBT+ Domestic Abuse Helpline,

            Tel: 0800 999 5428

            Email: help@galop.org.uk

 

• Respect Tel: 0808 8024040

 

• Women’s Aid

            Offer guidance and services including:

            Live chat service for female survivors, Monday to Friday 10am-2pm

 

• Men’s Advice Line offers information for male victims: 0808 801 0327

 

• Threshold DAS has a questionnaire which has prompts for people who feel like they might be either experiencing, or those concerned about their use of violence and abuse.

 

Local Services

 

Bolton at Home Domestic Abuse and Violence Team

Send an email toCommunity.Safety.Services@bolton.gov.uk

            Telephone: 01204 331061

 

• End the Fear - Greater Manchester against Domestic Abusive

 

            Helpline: 0161 636 7525
            Mon – Fri, 10am – 4 pm excl. Bank holidays

            24/7 national helpline number: 0808 2000 247

 

• Bolton Women’s Aid – The Women’s Support Centre

            Telephone: 01204 701846 

            http://www.fortalice.org.uk

 

Friends and family can also outline how those at risk can report to the police quietly by calling 999 (and if unable to speak) to press 55. This will transfer them to the relevant police force.

 

Source:

Beginning the Conversation Responding to domestic violence in Higher Education communities during COVID-19 Pandemic.  Universities UK

 

https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/covid19/Documents/uuk-briefing-domestic-abuse-covid.pdf

 

 

If you are worried someone might see that you have visited this page, the Women’s Aid website tells you how to cover your tracks online. 

 

Please copy and paste this link as clicking it will not take you to the page.

https://www.womensaid.org.uk/cover-your-tracks-online/

 

For more information about covering your tracks online, please visit Greater Manchester Police’s advice page: ‘How to hide this visit from your web history’