New campaign about domestic violence shows early warning signs

A new campaign has been launched in Britain which shows women how to recognise the early warning signs of abuse.

The campaign is promoted by the charity Refuge which says women needed to be more aware of the techniques used by violent men to control and dominate them.

Refuge says every week in England and Wales, two women are killed by a current or former partner.

The charity has enlisted the popular actress Roxanne Pallett to head the campaign who currently plays a domestic violence victim in the ITV1 soap opera, Emmerdale.

Pallett says the role has been the biggest challenge she has ever faced as an actress, which has had a huge emotional impact on her life.

Pallett says this however is little compared to the pain, fear and torment experienced by the thousands of women Refuge supports every day.

Refuge says women need to be more aware of the pernicious effect of a partner's controlling behaviour which is often all too easy for women to excuse.

But by excusing a partner's possessive and jealous behaviour Refuge says they run the risk of the abuse increasing in frequency and severity over time and understanding the signs early means a woman is forewarned and forearmed.

In research commissioned by Refuge, more than 8 out of 10 women interviewed said they had received no information about domestic violence when they were at school and most would have liked to have done so.

Among the early warning signs Refuge urged women to look out for are - the man cutting his partner off from family and friends and trying to isolate her, humiliating or insulting her in front of others, constantly criticising her and telling her she could not cope without him.

Half of the women surveyed by Refuge said they had experienced at least one of the warning signs.

The hard hitting "early warning signs domestic violence campaign to save lives" will include large posters and all creative, media and media spaces have been donated free of charge.

Refuge says the campaign will help women recognise the early warning signs of domestic violence and in so doing prevent them from a life time of abuse.