Hidden away and ignored by so many, domestic violence is fast becoming Britain’s secret pandemic. Despite, media splurges on crime, violence and the NHS, domestic violence – an aspect of all these areas – is yet to receive suitable and truly telling coverage. Yet, the threat is all too real; 1 in 4 women in the UK suffer from domestic abuse throughout their lives, so why are we as a nation not doing more?

Being a personal victim of abuse, I can only emphasise the need for further gains to be make in the prosecution of culprits of domestic violence. The outcomes of improving the rate of prosecution could only be beneficial for both society and the victims themselves. Nonetheless, we only see fifty percent of domestic abuse cases being reported to the police, even still today. This in itself is diagnostic of how much of the population perceive domestic violence, something of which we should all be ashamed.

Personally, I have seen numerous circumstances at school, university and everyday life where abusive circumstances are ignored by witnesses. This is something Britain needs to conquer, whether through government initiatives, the media or our own devices. This being said, recently, with the introduction of new advertising campaigns, the awareness of what constitutes abuse has risen. Yet, these adverts can still be switched off and ignored through just a press of a button. In fact, I have been in a number of circumstances where the adverts were mocked by viewers, for their accents, clothes and even the abusive events being portrayed themselves. Thus, we should ask, for domestic violence to be taken more seriously do we need to introduce shock advertising?

Ultimately, we need to question what is causing the secrecy and ignorance surrounding cases of domestic violence. The events themselves will be downplayed and hidden by those involved but we can still recognise when those we love are in need. If you see someone you care for suffer through something you do not think is right, take action.

We all seem to bandage up domestic abuse and hope it will remedy itself but this has gone on for too long. This is something that we – as a society – need to work on. We do not support a police force to solve crime just to let attacks – both physical and mental – continue on where people should feel most safe. Women do not fight to break through the ‘glass ceiling’ to have to then overcome suppression behind wooden doors. The time has come for us all to consider what we all can do more to help those suffering from domestic abuse – whether they are female or male.

However, we must all remember that I can only speak for myself, but maybe if we all made a stand for ourselves and in support of one another, the lack of coverage and reports on domestic violence can be cured.