Domestic Abuse Remains “Far Too High” — But What Does That Actually Mean?
THE DIRECTIVE™
Domestic Abuse Remains “Far Too High” — But What Does That Actually Mean?
By Samantha Avril-Andreassen, LLB (Hons), LLM, LPC, FRSA
When public officials state that domestic abuse remains "far too high," few would disagree.
The statistics are alarming.
The human cost is devastating.
The impact on victims, children, communities, public services, and institutions is profound.
Yet statements such as these raise an important governance question:
What are we actually measuring?
Because if domestic abuse remains persistently high despite decades of legislation, policy reform, safeguarding guidance, public awareness campaigns, specialist services, and institutional intervention, then the conversation must move beyond prevalence alone.
We must begin examining capability.
Not simply the capability to respond.
But the capability to recognise, identify, prevent, and interrupt abuse before it escalates.
The Reporting Paradox
In modern safeguarding systems, success is often measured through activity.
Reports received.
Referrals made.
Assessments completed.
Cases opened.
Cases closed.
Training delivered.
Policies updated.
These indicators matter.
But they can create a dangerous illusion.
Activity is not the same as protection.
An increase in reporting may indicate greater awareness.
It may indicate greater confidence.
It may indicate improved recognition.
But reporting alone does not tell us whether victims became safer.
Nor does it tell us whether institutions identified risk early enough to prevent harm.
The central question remains:
What happened after the report?
Domestic Abuse Is Not A Single Event
One reason domestic abuse remains difficult to address is that it rarely presents as a single incident.
It is more accurately understood as a pattern.
A pattern of coercion.
A pattern of control.
A pattern of intimidation.
A pattern of isolation.
A pattern of financial restriction.
A pattern of escalating vulnerability.
Yet many institutional systems remain structured around incidents.
Reports.
Events.
Episodes.
Individual disclosures.
The consequence is that patterns can remain hidden even when individual incidents are visible.
This is one of the defining challenges of modern safeguarding.
Why Recognition Matters More Than Ever
The future of domestic abuse prevention is unlikely to be determined solely by additional legislation.
Many jurisdictions already possess substantial legal frameworks.
The challenge increasingly lies in implementation.
Can institutions recognise coercive control?
Can they identify economic abuse?
Can they recognise escalating vulnerability?
Can they distinguish isolated conflict from a sustained pattern of domination?
Can they identify foreseeable harm before crisis occurs?
These are fundamentally recognition questions.
And recognition sits at the heart of effective safeguarding.
The Cost of Fragmentation
Domestic abuse rarely exists within a single institution.
A victim may engage with:
• Police
• Healthcare services
• Housing providers
• Schools
• Social services
• Family courts
• Financial institutions
Each organisation may hold a piece of the picture.
The challenge is that no single organisation necessarily sees the whole.
This creates what SAFECHAIN™ describes as a Recognition Deficit™.
The information exists.
The pattern does not.
At least not from the perspective of any one institution.
As a result, risk can remain underestimated until significant harm occurs.
The Child Impact We Often Miss
Domestic abuse is frequently discussed in terms of adult victims.
Yet children are among its most significant secondary victims.
They experience:
• Fear
• Instability
• Hypervigilance
• Emotional dysregulation
• Educational disruption
• Long-term mental health consequences
The effects often extend well beyond the immediate period of abuse.
This means that domestic abuse is not merely a criminal justice issue.
It is a public health issue.
A safeguarding issue.
An education issue.
A housing issue.
And ultimately, a governance issue.
The Directive™
The statement that domestic abuse remains "far too high" should not simply trigger concern.
It should trigger inquiry.
Why does it remain high?
Where are institutions succeeding?
Where are they struggling?
What warning signs are being missed?
What vulnerabilities remain unrecognised?
What patterns remain disconnected?
Because the future of domestic abuse reform will not be defined solely by how many reports are received.
It will be defined by whether institutions can convert information into protection.
Whether they can recognise vulnerability before crisis.
Whether they can identify escalation before tragedy.
Whether they can move from response to prevention.
Conclusion
Domestic abuse remains far too high.
But prevalence is only part of the story.
The deeper question is whether our institutions possess the recognition capability required to address it effectively.
The future of safeguarding will depend not only on stronger laws, more services, or greater awareness.
It will depend on whether systems become capable of identifying what they already know.
Because information alone does not create protection.
Recognition does.
And recognition remains one of the most important safeguarding challenges of our time.
THE DIRECTIVE™
Recognition Before Response™
Information Without Recognition Does Not Create Protection™
Recognition Is The First Act Of Prevention™
© 2026 Samantha Avril-Andreassen. All rights reserved.
SAFECHAINN Ltd (Company No. 12038453)
Founder, SAFECHAIN™ | Governance Analyst | Systems Reform Specialist | Safeguarding Framework Developer