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• 80%ofcasesdealtwithbytheForcedMarriageUnitinvolvedfemalevictims;20% involved male victims. It is estimated there are up to 100 victims of forced marriage a year in Wales
• 750,000 children and young people, across the UK witness or experience domestic abuse every year and a significant proportion experience abuse in their own relationships
• InastudyofyoungpeopleinintimaterelationshipsbytheNSPCC(Barteretal,2009), 25 % of the girls and 18% of the boys experienced physical abuse; 75% of girls and 14% of boys experienced emotional abuse, and 33% of the girls and 16% of the boys experienced sexual abuse. It found that not only do girls experience more abuse, but they also experience more severe abuse more frequently, and suffer more
negative impacts on their welfare, compared with boys
• People with additional vulnerabilities including mental health needs, substance
misuse issues, disabilities and older people with support needs are more likely to be affected by Domestic Abuse (Local Government Association, 2015)
The number of high risk and very high risk cases of domestic abuse discussed via the Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference process (MARAC) has increased year on year since the process began over ten years ago.
Figure 15:1 MARAC referrals
Source: Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire IDVA Services, 2016
Note MARAC data from October 2016 was not available at the time of writing.
The graph shows increases in MARAC referrals from the Dyfed counties (Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Powys) and indicates a year on year upward trend in referrals over the last three full financial years. Data for 2016/17 are included up to and including August 2016 and suggest the upward trend continues. The new requirements of the SSWB Act and changes in the way that Police record crime and incidents are thought to be contributing factors to the upward trend. National figures from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary show the number of domestic abuse cases reported to the police in England and Wales rose by 31% between 2013 and 2015 (BBC, 2015).
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West Wales Population Assessment March 2017 VAWDASV