The two months of confinement in France led to an increase in domestic violence, which accounted for the bulk of police custody during this period (according to Le Monde's April 25, 2020 article "Violences conjugales : " Le confinement est devenu un instrument supplémentaire pour les agresseurs"). In Europe, there has even been a 60% increase in calls from female victims of domestic violence during confinement.
So what should you do if you are a victim, witness or suspect of domestic violence?
Domestic violence is a deliberate attack on the other person's integrity, a hold, a conditioning from which it is difficult to escape when you are a victim. It is not only physical or sexual, but can also be psychological, and is the most frequent form of violence against women in France: every year, ten out of a hundred women aged between 20 and 59 are victims of violence by their partner. This is also the case for three men out of a hundred (according to a Monde article of April 10, 2015 "Hommes battus: des chiffres pour comprendre une réalité méconnue"). Yet fear, loss of self-confidence, denial or shame lead only one in five female victims of domestic violence to lodge a complaint.
Who are the victims of domestic violence?
There is no typical profile for a woman who is a victim of domestic violence, and any woman can find herself one day in her life in the grip of a spouse who often has two faces (charming in society and a torturer at home). It's worth noting that men can also fall victim to their partners. In any case, the victim is never responsible for the violence he or she suffers.
What to do if you are a victim, a witness or suspect domestic violence?
The first thing to do when accompanying a victim of domestic violence is to let her know that you understand what is going on, and that you are ready to support her without judgment.
Reassure and value the victim, and use the technique of rephrasing, i.e. rephrasing all or part of what she says to show that you are listening attentively and trying to understand what she is telling you, without questioning her words at any point.
Avoid asking questions that are too direct, recounting personal experiences or letting her know how you see things. It's also very important to respect her choices if she doesn't want more concrete help, even if you don't understand them.
