Resolve recently attended a social housing round table, where we had the pleasure of hearing from the work of Sadie Jones and her organisation, SheBeasts. SheBeasts vision is for every female to overcome the odds and reach the top of their ladder.
What was made clear through the round table is the profound effect domestic abuse has on women and girls, and how interconnected and complex the issues are. Set up 3 and a half years ago, it is female-led, supporting women through trauma recovery through a variety of mediums, including nutrition and exercise to safe housing, and further qualifications in personal training. Their signature programme, which Is a 12-week workshop rebuilding program, incorporates a holistic approach to trauma management. What this structure ultimately aims to do, is to help alleviate some of that uncertainty that comes from these situations, when things seem impossible.
For more information visit: https://www.shebeastscic.co.uk/
Role of the Community in Healing from Domestic Abuse
The stark reality of domestic abuse is that the average victim will go back to their abuser 7 times (Sadie Jones, The Social Housing Round Table, YouTube).[1] Community is ripped away from someone suffering from domestic abuse, it is more than just abuse; it is coercion, control and manipulation someone not only flees for their physical wellbeing, but also for their sense of community, sense of humanity, sense of belonging.
It is clear then, that what SheBeasts aims to replicate, is a form of community, Sadie notes that from her experience, the previously mentioned stark statistic is due to this lack of community; we seek community so innately, that even if it is hurting us, the prospect of being utterly alone is much worse. SheBeasts aims to build a diverse community of all different backgrounds to combat isolation. These women and girls are all at different stages, but they are all on the same journey, and so community is quickly formed to combat isolation.
Attitudes towards Domestic Abuse in Minority Communities
All aspects of community safety vary greatly, and the impacts are felt differently by different communities. This was noticeably present in people’s experience of domestic abuse. Sadie gave a particularly powerful admission, that upon finding success in her work and wanting to raise the profile of domestic abuse, she eventually found herself on the BBC. Despite this, her grandmother was shocked, shocked that she would bring something so personal into the public. It was noted that there is a disparity in cultures around domestic abuse in some communities, that it is a private family issue, that it should not be spoken about, and in some cases, parts of the abuse are considered normal, control of money, communication and dress. An attendee did note faith leaders are leading the charge in educating about this, however.
This highlights how aspects of community safety have ripple effects and they are felt disproportionately in certain communities; understanding and targeted provision is then key.
Young People and Domestic Abuse
It was clear that SheBeasts aims to not just serve women, but also girls. Unfortunately, girls as young as 14 are on SheBeasts programme.
To counteract this, SheBeasts has a youth empowerment initiative, that focuses on Movement, Mindset and Nutrition. Partnering with other youth projects such as Breathing Space and Essence Youth, the aim is to provide structure and to build resilience in young girls. As stated in the round table, our young people are our future, and so often behaviours expressed in youth can culminate into much more inescapable problems. By focusing on early intervention, with a focus on a cohesive, supportive community, they can negate much of those interconnected ripple effects that trauma often has. As those interested in community safety, early intervention is often lauded as an effective policy position, and the role She Beasts has in young people’s trauma management is a testament to early intervention.
She Beasts Values
F.A.C.E
Fearless - Facing your fears head-on, because you know you’re not alone.
Authentic - Releasing your inner beast, whomever she
might be to you.
Committed - Committing to yourself, committing to your journey and committing to the community.
Empathetic - Females supporting females to be the best version of themselves.
Awareness and Misconceptions around Domestic Abuse
Perception is vitally important in tackling the issues surrounding Community Safety, domestic abuse is not alone in this. It was clear from the round table that perceptions around domestic abuse can be out of keel with the lived experience of those who struggle with it. Common misconceptions are mainly on who it affects, and how it affects. It was noted that there is a perception that it mostly affects those of low-income, those of disadvantaged communities, and while people of these categories do feel great affects, Sadie was quick to note it affects everyone and that the feeling that ‘I never thought this would happen to me’ is extremely common.
There are also misconceptions around how it affects, of course abuse comes to mind, but it is also control over their phone, belittling, manipulation or gaslighting and finances. Often, then, it means that those perceptions of how domestic abuse should look, is out of balance with how it feels to many, and so they do not know they are experiencing it until it is much too late. It is therefore vital, like many other aspects of community safety, that awareness is raised and perceptions changed, for people to recognise better themselves when they need support.
Holistic Nature of Domestic Abuse Support
Trauma management is a journey, a journey that is strikingly nonlinear and has impactful ripple effect. Victims need more than just accommodation when fleeing, this is a vital component, namely somewhere safe to be with a base that can help propel you through your journey, but it is more multi-faceted than this. There is a need for holistic support. It is as simple as the fact that many of these victims should not, and do not, feel ready to move into their ‘own home’; their independence should be nurtured, not artificially implanted. It is also a community of likeminded individuals, and it is also a programme that cultivates a positive mindset, that provides balanced nutrition and allows for diverse physical outlets.
This can all coalesce into employment opportunities, with the personal training component allowing women and girls to achieve independence through the possession of not only technical skills, but also empathy and understanding, that is vital for supporting others on their journey. A holistic approach, like the one implemented like SheBeasts, allows for this nurturing of independence through the management of trauma.
Legislation: The Domestic Abuse Act 2021[2]
Great progress has been made in legislating regarding domestic abuse, the most recent landmark legislation being the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. This act helped deliver not only a legal definition, which recognises children as victims, but also a domestic abuse commissioner, a guarantee of housing priority for survivors, a duty on government to issue codes of practice how data sharing and much more. Despite this landmark piece of legislation, still more needs to be done to best protect victims. The act does provide greater assistance for survivors giving evidence in court; however, the court system is overloaded with cases and so often the court process can leave those re-traumatised. The social housing round table also highlighted the importance of understanding cultural difference, that not everyone experiences domestic abuse in the same way.
The omission, therefore, of migrant survivors and other forms of abuse such as ‘honour’ based abuse in the legislation means many from minority backgrounds are left without the adequate support. Lastly, funding is a huge issue, while the part 4 of the act places a legal duty on councils to fund safe accommodation, according to women’s aid this is not going to relevant specialist refuge services, around a quarter of these services, less than half focusing on minority women, were not commissioned by a local authority in 2022-2023.
Despite the challenges, there is much to be pleased about in the progress we have made, organisations like She Beasts can help highlight gaps in legislation where progress still needs to be made.
Other Relevant Legislation includes:
- The Family Law Act 1996 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/27/contents) ,
- The Protection from Harassment Act 1997 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1997/40/contents)
- The Sexual Offences Act 2023 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/42/contents)
- The Force Marriage Act 2007(https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2007/20/contents)
Conclusion
The work of SheBeasts and Sadie shows the multi-faceted, complex nature of trauma and how pernicious the effects can really be. However, it also highlights the adversity and potential of individuals when brought together into a community of individuals on the same journey, who can uplift and support each other. To help mitigate and prevent the damages of trauma, we must focus on changing perceptions, focusing and targeting our approach in different communities, allowing for the nurturing of an independence and early intervention. ‘Get more involved and see what we can do’ Sadie Jones
Proactive and holistic support is clearly needed to best support and empower females to overcome their odds, and to best serve them, and as a result, the community. Long-term aftercare needs to be carefully considered for all survivors of Domestic Abuse with ‘doors’ being kept open to enable the survivor to rebuild themselves.
