If you’ve ever worried about your safety or have feared for the security of other women, you may already know that violence against women and girls is at epidemic levels. But, just how much of the UK is aware of this?

Shockingly, new research by domestic abuse charity Refuge has found that three-quarters of the UK is unaware of the true scale of domestic abuse in the country. According to its latest survey, just 26% of UK adults report knowing that one in four women will experience it in their lifetime.

While the scale is underestimated by many, those surveyed also reported not feeling confident about what constitutes domestic abuse. Although 80% of people said that they would report physical abuse, under four in 10 said they would report ‘less understood’ types of abuse, including coercive and controlling behaviour, technology-facilitated abuse, economic abuse and psychological abuse. The study also found that younger people are less likely to recognise signs of dangerous behaviour, with just 57% of 18–24-year-olds considering ‘sharing intimate images of them without consent’ to be abuse, compared to 88% of those aged over 55.

Speaking of the findings, Abigail Ampofo, interim chief executive of Refuge, said: “Domestic abuse often operates in the shadows, manifesting in subtle, insidious ways that are hard to recognise. As technology and cultural norms evolve, abuse becomes more difficult to spot.”

To help raise awareness of how prevalent domestic abuse is in the UK, Refuge has partnered with celebrity ambassadors and artists to create a digital display of ‘red flags’ that will be shown at London’s Outernet on 8 March for International Women’s Day. Commenting on the installation, actor and Refuge ambassador Olivia Colman said: “Abuse doesn’t always look the way we expect it to. It’s in the small moments, the quiet control and the silent manipulations. No red flag is too small to be noticed, because every woman deserves to live without fear.”

In the UK, the domestic violence helpline is 0808 2000 247. Alternatively, contact Women’s Aid or Refuge for advice and support. 

Images: Getty