Wiltshire shining light on stalking during world-wide push to end gender-based violence
National Police Chief's Council data says violent crimes against women in the UK are up 37% since 2018
There's a push in Wiltshire to end gender based violence during a two week world wide campaign.
Domestic abuse charity FearFree and the Police are joining together to shine a light on stalking and harassment during the 16 days of action movement.
The 16 Days of Action campaign aims to raise awareness of violence against women and girls (VAWG).
Figures from the National Police Chiefs Council reveal that violent crimes against women and girls have risen 37% since 2018.
FearFree's Lydia Little told Greatest Hits Radio campaign's such as this one make a massive difference and generate conversation around the issue.
She said: "There are many aspects of this conversation that are still under discussed and having a specific space to really talk about these issues in depth through multiple partners and contributors is valuable for highlighting the ongoing difficulties still."
Lydia added that VAWG is an issue for the whole community to tackle: "The only way to affect proper change is to bring together communities and that means all of the partners that would contribute to the ecosystem of a community in order to enact change."
She told us that stalking is a 'nuanced' crime, which can look different each time.
"Stalking is not prescriptive, there's not one way that stalking looks," she said, adding: "It can look pretty innocent externally, but still cause serious distress to the victim experiencing it right through to your kind of classic media portrayal of stalking and the extreme physical violence that comes with it."
Lydia says technology and social media being readily available is speeding up a very specific behaviour within stalking - dehumanisation of the victim.
She said: "Essentially the stalker stops thinking about the victim as a human being and starts thinking about them as an object, an object they desire an object they want to control.
"The problem with digital stalking is that dehumanisation element is right at your fingertips, there's no pause in between a physical human connection and then the descent into dehumanisation. It's instant dehumanisation."
Lydia added that with so many social platforms available to us online, it can be difficult to manage the risk on each one effectively.
Joint effort to shine light on community issue
The charity is working with Wiltshire Police, with both organisaitons urging anyone with concerns about being stalked to speak out and ask for help.
Lydia said: "If somebody is behaving in a way that is concerning you or others around you. We need to know about it so we can support you."
Wiltshire Police has reiterated it's stance on violence against women and girls not being tolerated in our county - echoing the calls for those concerned to speak out.
Detective Chief Superintendent Liz Coles said: "We encourage people to come forward and report things. If you're one of those women or girls who feel scared, come and tell us. We will listen to you. If you're someone else around and you see a woman or girl who looks concerned or looks frightened, looks vulnerable, check on them or report it to the police.
"We want to hear from you. We will listen and we will make our communities a safer place for women and girls to be."
VAWG lead at Wiltshire Police, DCI Lucy Thorne, said the Force remains committed to keeping women and girls safe.
She said: “We are aware of the Government’s pledge of halving VAWG in the next 10 years and we in Wiltshire Police are absolutely committed to doing all we can to prevent and prosecute those perpetrators of VAWG in the hope we can prevent any future female suffering male violence and supporting those who have already experienced the trauma of these devastating crimes.
“Over the next 16 days we will be highlighting to the public some of the ways Wiltshire Police and our Partners are working together to tackle VAWG in its different forms ranging from raising awareness, to operational activity in pursuing VAWG offenders.
"We will be also conveying key messages to women and girls who experience VAWG in how they can access help and support if they become a victim.”