People in East Yorkshire urged to learn signs of domestic abuse and seek support

There’s a push in East Yorkshire this month for more people to recognise the warning signs of domestic abuse and to reach out for support.

Those working in the field say it’s vital for both the public and professionals to understand abuse can take many forms, not just physical.

Lisa Clappison works at DVAP at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, she said:

"We want to shine a light and get people talking about this issue as it affects far too many people, it's often a hidden issue that people stay silent about, and we want to help everyone to understand the prevalence, the impact it has.

"Domestic abuse isn't just about the violence. It covers emotional, psychological, financial, coercive control, and it can be committed by your partner or ex-partner, or even a family member too. We wanted to use this time to educate the public and to train professionals.

"Coercive control doesn't happen overnight. It's more of a pattern of behaviours, which is a little bit of a drip effect, and so as a victim, not always aware of what's happening until they actually find themselves in a situation.

"What we wanted to do during DA Awareness month was to hold series of free webinars, which are open to members of the public and to practitioners, and they're going to be covering topics to kind of help us to recognise the signs of abuse."

For more information you can visit DVAP's website here