Understanding the barriers
Updated 5 October 2022
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/support-within-the-foreign-and-commonwealth-community-for-those-affected-by-domestic-abuse/understanding-the-barriers-faced-by-the-foreign-and-commonwealth-community-within-the-armed-forces-who-are-affected-by-domestic-abuse
Understanding the barriers faced by the Foreign and Commonwealth community within the armed forces who are affected by Domestic Abuse
Introduction
Commonwealth personnel are represented throughout the armed forces, and with an active recruitment programme currently running their numbers will start to increase. It is recognised that the term ‘Foreign and Commonwealth’ does not capture the diversity within this cohort of service personnel, who in turn often have families who are also part of the armed forces community.
By referring to the Foreign and Commonwealth community in general there is the danger that their specific needs, culture and differences will be overlooked or potentially misunderstood. This set of briefing sheets aims to capture specific cultural barriers that may be faced by different Commonwealth communities and in turn can inform the support provided. It is hoped this insight will help unit staff and other specialist welfare providers provide targeted, effective support to individuals from the Foreign and Commonwealth community who are affected by domestic abuse.
Domestic Abuse
Domestic abuse affects 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men during their lifetime, as well as 1 in 4 same sex relationships. It can affect anyone, regardless of background.
The cross-government definition of domestic violence and abuse is any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are, or have been, intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality.
The abuse can encompass, but is not limited to: * psychological * physical * sexual * financial * emotional
The armed forces are a reflection of wider society and it is inevitable that there will be cases of domestic abuse within the armed forces community. Welfare support is available at unit level as well as from specialist practitioners, with victims and perpetrators also able to access the same support as their civilian counterparts.
##Foreign and Commonwealth within the armed forces
Commonwealth personnel are recruited from the other 52 member states of the Commonwealth of Nations. Although Zimbabwe and Gambia are no longer part of the Commonwealth, it should be noted that there are soldiers from these countries currently serving in the British Army.
It should also be noted that the majority of Commonwealth personnel serve within the army; in 2017 the army comprised 5,820 (7.1%) Commonwealth personnel. The armed forces have started to actively recruit from the Commonwealth again, although recruits are currently in training. The majority of Commonwealth personnel are from Fiji, Africa (notably Ghana) and the Caribbean, with a large number of Nepalese personnel who are primarily employed as Gurkhas.
Barriers faced by the Foreign and Commonwealth Community
Domestic abuse encompasses physical violence within a relationship, although it must be understood that it is primarily about control. A perpetrator will seek to control every element of a victim’s life to varying degrees and may actively isolate them from the wider community. All victims of domestic abuse must overcome barriers if they are to access help. To ensure effective support, it is important that support providers fully understand these barriers and can place them in context. To help support this understanding, Appendix 1 outlines common barriers faced by victims from the military community. It is understood that immigration status is the most common tool for control used by perpetrators of domestic abuse within this cohort. This applies across the Foreign and Commonwealth community and is outlined in more detail at Appendix 2.
Barriers can also be specific to an individual’s nationality and the remaining appendices capture relevant cultural considerations where there is significant representation within the Armed Forces Foreign and Commonwealth Community.