2. How many women in Britain experience abuse in a relationship sometime during their lifetime? 1in 1001 in 201 in 4

3. How many women in England and Wales are killed each week by their partner or ex-partner?

4. Physical Violence Sexual Violence

5. Isolation Enforced Trivial Demands Degradation Threats Displays of total power Occasional Indulgencies Exhaustion Distorted perspectives

6. Some women seem to choose violent partners and you see them going from one violent man to another

7. What issues are there to consider when leaving a relationship?

9. How do abusive men use children to control women? The Impact on Children

10. Women may present as: Chaotic Smokers Using alcohol and other substances

11. Many women who experience violence will be hesitant to name their experience as domestic violence or not realise this is what they are experiencing. Women will be more receptive if you ask questions around the state of their relationship or their personal safety.

12. Women experiencing violence will already have survival strategies they find effective. It is essential to acknowledge these and use them as guidance for your work. A safety plan is about allowing women to identify the options available to them within the context of their current circumstances.

13. Who can you tell about the violence who will not tell your partner/ex-partner? Do you have important phone numbers available e.g. Family, friends, refuges, police? If you left, where could you go? Do you ever suspect when your partner is going to violent? Eg. After drinking, when he gets paid, after relatives visit

14. When you suspect he is going to be violent can you go elsewhere? Can you keep a bag of spare clothes at a friends or a family members house? Are you able to keep copies of any important papers with anyone else? Eg. Passport, birth certificates Is there somewhere for your children to go to when he is being violent and abusive?

15. What is the most dangerous part of your house to be in when he is violent? Which part of the house do you feel safest in?

16. Effective organisational policies and protocols can easily be developed to allow for a rapid and supported response to emergency situations. The Stella Project, Good Practice Guidelines, April 2004 ( Tender can send you an electronic copy of this )