Domestic abuse is the greatest single demand on police force

Tackling domestic abuse is a key local priority for us and we aim to maximise all legal means to protect victims and to take action against those who pose a threat.

Nearly 59,000 incidents of domestic abuse were reported to Police Scotland in 2016-17, an average of one incident every nine minutes, making it the greatest single demand on the police service in Scotland. Our organisation works closely with partner agencies to devise new methods to help impact on this. One was the disclosure scheme for Domestic Abuse in Scotland. Sunday saw the second anniversary of this scheme. The scheme aims to tackle and prevent domestic abuse by enabling the public to request disclosure from the police if they suspect their current partner may have an abusive past. Requests can also be made, on their behalf, by a concerned family, member, friend or neighbour.

Of the 2144 requests made since the scheme rolled out nationally on October 1, 2015, 927 people have been told their partner has an abusive past. Domestic abusers’ actions can have a lifetime effect on their victims and their behaviour is often about controlling their partners by means of violence and intimidation.

This scheme empowers individuals to access information about their partner’s past and allows them to make informed decisions regarding if they want to remain in a relationship with someone who has a history of domestic abuse. It also sends a message to perpetrators, and those whose behaviour may be escalating, that if they become a domestic abuser their behaviour today will likely impact on every other day of their life and many of their future relationships.

Further information on the scheme is available at our website.

Counter Terrorism Police have launched ACT for Youth. The safety campaign will teach 11- to 16-yearolds how to react in the unlikely event they are caught in a gun or knife terror attack, including being told not to stop and use their phones until they are safely away from danger. With the UK terror threat level at severe, children will be taught to RUN if they are able to, HIDE if they are not, and TELL police of the threat only when it is safe to do so. They will also be advised to warn others about an on-going threat, and crucially told NOT to stop and use their phones until they are safely away from danger. A number of partner organisations are involved to help and support parents who are understandably anxious about discussing such a topic with their children.

Unfortunately we have recently had a number of terrorist-related incidents, and with the media coverage children may start to ask their parents questions. The following advice has been given for parents in relation to this. Listen carefully to a child’s fears and worries: Do not panic a child by speculating on reasons or fears of future attacks, offer reassurance and comfort and avoid complicated and worrying explanations that could leave them more frightened and confused and help them find advice and support to understand distressing events and feelings.