This year’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is a stark reminder that violence against women and girls remains a crisis and that many families are suffering in silence. But the danger doesn’t stop at the individual: when mothers face domestic abuse, sexual assault, or coercive control, their children are at risk too. And yet, too often, services unintentionally punish the very people they are meant to protect.
Many mothers don’t ask for help because they fear losing their children. For women experiencing domestic abuse or sexual violence, the fear of child removal can be as terrifying as the abuse itself. Alcohol and drug use often follow, coping mechanisms for managing the fear, the violence, and the unrelenting stress of trying to keep themselves and their children safe.
At Phoenix, the scale of the problem is clear: 65% of women entering our residential rehab report experiencing domestic abuse, and of these, 57% have parental responsibility.
Without family-sensitive services, children remain at risk of repeated harm, and the cycle of abuse and substance use can continue across generations. Scientific evidence shows that addiction and the effects of violence can be transmitted through complex biological, psychological, and social processes, creating intergenerational trauma. But family-focused support breaks this cycle.
We know what works. In Scotland, Harper House provides women and children with a safe, fully funded, flexible environment where they can recover together. Mothers receive support for substance use and mental health, parenting skills, and access to registered nursery care, while children benefit from early intervention and development support, all in trauma-informed, psychologically safe spaces.
In England, Sheffield Family Service offers a similarly holistic approach. Families can stay together, accessing tailored support while remaining safe. These services prove that recovery doesn’t have to mean separation, and that the right care can empower women to protect themselves and their children while building a safer future.
Yet funding in England is difficult to secure, and referral pathways are too complex. Stigma and judgment, both societal and systemic, keep mothers from asking for help, leaving families in peril. All too often, families are only referred into our services when things have reached a crisis point, making our support a last‑chance intervention. But this doesn’t have to be the case. By reducing stigma and removing barriers to access, we could support families much sooner, at the early warning signs of violence and substance use enabling better outcomes for both parents and children.
Evidence shows that early intervention is not just more compassionate, but more effective: services that engage families before they reach crisis are associated with lower rates of domestic violence, child protection issues, and substance use.
Family‑focused interventions that tackle multiple, overlapping needs, like domestic abuse, substance use, and parenting consistently deliver stronger outcomes than siloed services. At Phoenix, our model shows that when women and their children are supported together, in a safe, non‑judgmental environment we don’t just prevent immediate crisis: we build resilience in the whole family.
We must act now: we are calling for greater investment in family-focused services, simplified access, and service design that puts women and children at the centre. Help shouldn’t come only when families are at breaking point it must reach those still catching their breath. Ending gender-based violence isn’t just about responding to individual harm, it’s about protecting families, stopping cycles of abuse, and giving children and mothers the chance to thrive.
