Domestic violence is the largest cause of morbidity worldwide in women aged between 19 and 44: greater than war, cancer, or motor vehicle accidents. According to the British Crime Survey, a quarter of women and one sixth of men in the UK will experience domestic violence at some point in their lives.

Availability of Probation Service perpetrator programmes is so poor some courts cannot use them as sentencing options; The Department for Children, Schools and Families should introduce an explicit statutory requirement for schools to educate children about domestic and 'honour'-based violence and forced marriage; Front-line professionals - teacher, health professionals, visa entry clearance officers, police, judges and magistrates - who come into contact with victims should receive accredited training to enable them to identify abuse and refer the victim to appropriate support.The accompanying "Domestic Violence, Forced Marriage and "Honour"-Based Violence - Volume II: Oral and Written Evidence (HC 263-II)", (ISBN 9780215520876) is available to buy separately.