The “hidden evil” study commissioned by the Mayor of London’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) found that the rate of violence and abuse against parents and carers was higher among 19-25 year olds and 81% of perpetrators they were men. It found that 89% of the victims of recorded incidents such as assaults, coercion, financial abuse, threats, intimidation and harassment were the parents of the accused. Experts said the figures were probably higher than reported and expected to rise. The investigation, by the independent consulting firm Ecorys, follows a campaign launched by the mayor last month, stressing the importance of tackling misogyny as a cause of violence against women and girls. Abuse between teens and parents or carers is also gender: research has found that the majority of known cases occurred between adolescent boys and their mothers. Violence and abuse caused by young women and girls seem to respond differently and intervene, according to research. The data reveal that while the number of cases peaked in 2018, it decreased in the following years. Only during the first national lockdown Covid-19 in 2020, which exacerbated abusive and violent situations in the UK and internationally, incidents began to increase slightly. The research shows that more than two thirds of the victims were women and most of the victims were between 40 and 54 years old. Based on data from 2011-20, the investigation found that, while there was no single cause of violence and abuse from child to parent, the issue was often rarely reported to the police due to fears of criminalization, stigma or the risk of child abduction. from the houses. Other factors include cultural and linguistic barriers and a distrust of services that result in a patchwork of support and resources for families. A woman involved in the report said she felt desperate: “At one point I called the police and. I saw the police coming and picking up my son from the apartment and the other children watching. When my son came back, he said, “Call the police yourself, your son.” “It just ruined the relationship.” In another example, a woman who had been the victim of domestic violence by her ex-partner was not supported by her family when her child was abused. Her family accused her of “not being tough enough” with her children. The analysis adds that while cases occur in families in different communities, ethnicities and socioeconomic status, people from ethnic minorities are overrepresented compared to the populations of London and England. Without its own legal definition, child or adolescent violence and abuse against a parent (CAPVA) is understood as a form of domestic abuse in cases involving young people over the age of 16, which means that people under the age of 16 are times as adult perpetrators. “It is important that we have a common approach to addressing this issue,” said London Mayor Sadiq Khan. “I want all Londoners, including parents and carers, to have confidence in reporting concerns so that services can intervene much earlier and provide the support that families need and deserve.”
