Violence Is Widespread, Trust Is Not

Most women have either personally experienced violence or harassment—or know someone who has—within the past year, according to a new survey conducted in England and Wales.

Respondents expressed low levels of trust in the police and government when it comes to addressing violence by men. The majority believe the situation is only getting worse.

The findings were presented at a closed-door meeting attended by senior police officials and crime commissioners. The survey was conducted by Zencity and included nearly 1,800 women aged 16 and over.

Law enforcement and the government are struggling to address the scale and persistence of violence and harassment that women face—an issue whose scope is becoming increasingly clear.

As part of the survey, women were asked: "In the past 12 months, has any of the following happened to you, a woman or girl you know, or have you witnessed it in everyday life: domestic violence, sexual harassment, sexual violence, stalking, or the filming/sharing of intimate images without consent?"

According to the results, 69% of women said they had either experienced violence or harassment themselves or knew someone who had in the past year.

Among women over the age of 55, the figure was 55%, while for those aged 16–34 and 25–54, it was 74% and a comparable number, respectively.

Three out of four women surveyed consider violence and harassment a serious problem. When asked whether the situation had worsened over the past five years, 42% said yes, 28% said no, and 30% felt it had stayed the same.

Those who have spent years fighting for recognition of the issue believe the system still fails to deliver. A turning point came in March 2021, when Sarah Everard was kidnapped and murdered by a London police officer. Later, another officer from the same force, David Carrick, was revealed to be a serial sex offender, despite multiple warnings the police failed to act on.

According to the survey, four in ten women do not believe the police take violence and harassment seriously. Only 16% disagreed with that view.

When asked about trust in key public institutions—police, prosecutors, courts, and local authorities—confidence levels were low. Just 34% of women said they trusted the police, around 30% trusted the judiciary and prosecution, and even fewer trusted local government.

Helen Millichap, the new national police coordinator for violence against women and girls, said: "We need to keep these issues at the forefront of public attention. The outrage these crimes provoke must be sustained. We have to actively challenge the misogynistic attitudes that fuel this violence."

"Policing has a role to play, and we are up for the challenge, but we are only one part of a wider system that must act," Millichap said. "I want to show the public that progress is being made, and that they can be confident it’s happening across the board."

According to the survey, only four in ten women said they would report online abuse to the police. Nearly as many said they would not. More than 10% said they would not report a rape or assault even if committed by a partner.

Police believe the true scale of violence against women remains significantly underreported. The survey states: "The most common reasons for not reporting are the belief that the police would not act (31%) or would not believe them (25%). These concerns outweigh practical barriers such as the process being too hard or slow (18%). This suggests that the main obstacle is not the mechanics of reporting, but a lack of trust in the outcome. Restoring confidence that reports will be taken seriously and lead to action is essential to encouraging more women to come forward."