The Economist reported earlier this month that domestic violence in the United Kingdom is on the decline. Based on statistics found in the British Crime survey, the journal suggested that domestic violence is now less than half as common as it was in the mid-1990s. According to the Economist, the decline in domestic violence may be attributed to one of a number of factors. First, the Metropolitan police have taken a more aggressive approach to arresting abusers, as they have found that men who abuse their partners also often mistreat others. Second, the Economist reports that British society has changed. Women are now more economically independent and marriage rates have decreased importantly. When couples do marry, they marry at a significantly older age and after a period of cohabitation during which abusive behavior may be identified and women find it easier to leave.
While the decline in domestic violence is documented, the police, women’s organizations and politicians are not ready to openly admit to it. The government continues to focus on passing new domestic violence legislation and area shelters report that beds remain full and the phones continue to ring. Domestic violence, the government claims, remains far too common.
Compiled from: Why Domestic Violence is Becoming Less Common, The Economist, 14 April, 2005; Cheers and Jeers of the Week, womensenews.org, 23 April 2005.