Charities say the problem of domestic violence affects all social boundaries, with many professional women falling victim. It cuts across all racial and social backgrounds. We have seen abusive dustbin men and lawyers, lorry drivers and judges. In recent years there has been a marked shift in attitudes towards domestic abuse as the stigma of being a 'battered wife' fades. Women's groups and police say there should be a national strategy to identify and convict people of what police now call 'family crimes'.
Domestic disputes are a major drain on police resources.
However, in an effort to overcome 'old-fashioned' attitudes, the Metropolitan Police Force recently extended their definition of domestic violence to include threatening behaviour, violence or 'psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional' abuse between adults who are or were partners or family. Dealing with abuse One particularly disturbing feature to emerge from recent research is that abuse often begins or worsens during pregnancy. This often leads to miscarriages and other foetal problems. One in 14 women attending ante-natal clinics at St Thomas' Hospital in London said they had suffered violence while pregnant. Since almost every pregnant woman has ante-natal care, the role of midwives and health visitors is regarded as critical in identifying victims of abuse.