This Sexual Abuse and Violence Awareness Week, Phoenix Futures’ Rachael Clegg explores the barriers women face when trying to seek help for sexual assault.
According to King’s College London, up to 83% of people who experience partner abuse do not report it to the police. Rape Crisis UK figures evidence a similarly bleak picture, stating that 5 in 6 women who are raped don’t report it.
There are myriad reasons as to why women may be fearful in reporting such cases of sexual abuse. Indeed, Rape Crisis UK data suggests that 24% thought that the police wouldn’t believe them, 39% thought the police wouldn’t be able to help and 35% thought it would be too embarrassing.
It’s no wonder, then, that women living with the ongoing trauma of abuse often self-medicate with drugs or alcohol in order to cope – and this brings with it even more barriers to support.
We know, for example, that women who are also mothers fear having their children removed if they seek help and disclose their abuse and drug or alcohol problems. We also know that only 26% of refuges report that they ‘always’ or ‘often’ accept women who use alcohol or other drugs, meaning that many already traumatised women are likely to be left out in the cold at best, and, at worst, stuck living with their abuser.
If women feel unable to report their experiences and their need for support, they remain in danger. Indeed, the societal stigma that pervades, particularly relating to women who use alcohol and drugs to cope, will also inhibit women from self-referring into services.
We know that around 65% of women entering our residential rehabs also report experiencing domestic abuse. This demonstrates a clear overlap between domestic abuse and drug and alcohol use, which can be driven by many complex factors but which will almost certainly include a need to self-medicate to cope with the ongoing trauma.
Why then would they want to add to the trauma they are already experiencing by not being believed, a terribly lengthy and personal court case or being turned away because of their coping strategy?
Collectively, we need to reassure women – both in our communications and our policies and approaches – that in taking that positive step and seeking help, they will not be penalised for it. We need to proactively get this message out there to encourage help-seeking – and we need to stand by it. We need them to be able to trust us.
At our Phoenix Futures’ women-only service, Ophelia House, and our National Specialist Family Service in Sheffield, we offer a therapeutic community and trauma-responsive care. And because we know that many women accessing our drug and alcohol services have experienced domestic/sexual abuse, we also provide specialist, accredited programmes to support recovery and help women to process their traumatic experiences in a safe environment.
As part of what we do we have also supported women in reporting perpetrators to the police, as well as assisting them in relocation where required. We have been there with them every step of the way. But finding their way to our services would be so much easier if they felt more able to contact emergency services as soon as they feel they are in danger, and if emergency services were more able to refer them directly onto the appropriate pathways.
As a sector, we need to collaboratively and proactively speak out about the support available and educate people – including first responders - on the reasons behind harmful drug and alcohol use and its links to trauma. We also need to ensure the pathways are clear and that the approach isn’t about punishment - but about healing and recovery.
So many women will be suffering in silence due to fear and stigma – we have the power to do something about that. And in 2026, we should join together to make this a priority.
We can work with you to develop those vital specialist pathways to rehab for women and families, please email me on [javascript protected email address] and arrange a meeting or a visit Ophelia House or our National Specialist Family service.
