Critical Thinking
Combatting Domestic Abuse (Part 2)
Black Spy Podcast 199, Season 20, Episode 0010
Below is a concise yet data-rich overview of the current domestic violence situation in the UK, as discussed in Part One of the Black Spy Podcast, featuring host Carlton King ("The Black Spy"), neuroscientist Dr Rachel Taylor, and journalist Firgas Esack.
Host Carlton King ("The Black Spy") sits down with Dr Rachel Taylor, a leading neuroscientist, and journalist Firgas Esack, to dive deep into these figures. This episode explores not only the statistics but the human, systemic, and gendered dimensions of domestic violence—shining light on under‑reported experiences, prevention strategies, and why these numbers matter.This is Part Two of an extremely informative series on Combatting Domestic Violence—essential listening for anyone looking to understand and address this crisis in modern Britain.
📊 Prevalence & Victim Demographics (2023–2025)
National Crime Survey (Crime Survey for England & Wales, April 2025 release):
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8.0% of people aged 16+ (3.9 million) experienced domestic abuse in the last year: 9.5% women (2.3 m), 6.5% men (1.5 m) en.wikipedia.org+6ons.gov.uk+6ons.gov.uk+6.
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Since age 16: 26.1% experienced abuse (30.3% women, 21.7% men) .
Year-ending March 2024 figures (ONS):
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4.8% (2.3 m) experienced abuse: 6.6% women (1.6 m), 3.0% men (712,000) ons.gov.uk.
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Police recorded ~1.4 m domestic abuse incidents/crimes; 851,000 were actual crimes womensaid.org.uk+15ons.gov.uk+15en.wikipedia.org+15.
💔 Deaths Attributed to Domestic Violence (Apr 2023–Mar 2024)
Domestic Homicide Project (2024):
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262 deaths related to domestic abuse: 164 homicides, 98 suicides triggered by abuse olliers.com.
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Over a four-year span (2020–2024): 1,012 deaths, including 501 homicides olliers.com.
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Separate ONS data: Between 2020–2022, 67.3% of domestic homicide victims were female vs. 12.1% non-domestic centreforsocialjustice.org.uk+3ons.gov.uk+3mankind.org.uk+3.
👥 Gender & Reporting: Under‑Reporting & Survivors
Victim gender breakdown:
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Women face higher prevalence and severity: ~84% of reported victims and ~93% of defendants are male refuge.org.uk.
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Sexual offenses: 93% female victims, 7% male ons.gov.uk+1theguardian.com+1.
Under‑reporting:
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Only ~14% of serious incidents reported to police in EU contexts; UK similar en.wikipedia.org.
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Male reporting: ~21% of male victims did not tell anyone in 2022/23 (down from 49% in 2017/18); 18.2% of female victims had similarly not disclosed mankind.org.uk.
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UK analysis: ~712,000 male victims in 2024 vs. ~196,000 police-reported cases → over half a million male victims unreported higgsllp.co.uk.
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Barriers: stigma, disbelief (especially for men), fear of reprisals, minimization centreforsocialjustice.org.uk+15en.wikipedia.org+15womensaid.org.uk+15.
🔎 Summary & Contextual Insights
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Women experience domestic abuse at significantly higher rates, suffer more severe forms, and constitute the majority of homicides.
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Male victims are fewer in number but face substantial under-reporting—over 50% go unrecorded—with stigma and disbelief compounding the issue.
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Domestic violence incidents and fatalities remain alarmingly high: ~262 abuse-related deaths annually, with nearly 100 suicides linked to abuse each year.
All statistical data draw from official Office for National Statistics measures (released April–May 2025), Domestic Homicide Project reports, and reputable charity research.
