Domestic abuse
Domestic abuse refers to deliberate, ongoing, and controlling behaviours such as emotional, financial, physical, sexual, stalking, and harassment, used by one person to exert power over another within an intimate or family relationship. Often hidden and under reported, many cases never reach the police, meaning official data only captures part of the picture. Understanding the nature and impact of domestic abuse on individuals, families, and communities is essential to delivering effective, high-quality services across Lancashire.
Domestic abuse findings from the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW)
Estimates from the CSEW year ending March 2025 survey showed that 7.8% of people aged 16 years and over experienced domestic abuse in the last year (around 3.8 million people). This represents no statistically significant change compared with the March 2024 survey.
In 2024/25, police in England and Wales flagged 815,941 offences as domestic abuse-related, including 634,912 violence against the person offences, a 4% drop from the previous year, mainly due to fewer violent offences. This decline may reflect real changes or shifts in how conduct crimes are recorded. The proportion of violent offences linked to domestic abuse remained at 33%, unchanged from the previous year.
The latest CSEW domestic abuse specific data for 2024/25 is due out November 2025 therefore the following figures are from the 2023/24 report. 51,183 domestic abuse-related prosecutions took place in England and Wales in 2023/24, 3.6% less when compared to 51,388 in 2022/23. In Lancashire, 2,071 prosecutions took place in year end March 2024 equating to a 17% of all prosecutions in Lancashire, 5% higher when compared with England and Wales. 74% of domestic abuse related prosecutions resulted in a conviction, slightly lower than the previous year of 78% and when compared to England and Wales (76%).
In Lancashire-14, 36,266 domestic abuse-related incidents and crimes were recorded, equivalent to 23 incidents and crimes per 1,000 population. This is slightly higher than the England and Wales year ending March 2023 rate of 22 per 1,000 population, but lower when compared with the North West at 24 per 1,000 population.
The number of domestic abuse cases open to Lancashire's Children and Family Wellbeing service (CFW) increased by almost 17%, from an average of 839 in 2022/23 to an average of 981 in 2023/24.
Please note: The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) data for the year ending March 2024 is based on a split sample, as new domestic abuse questions have been tested since April 2023. Because of the reduced sample size, caution is advised when interpreting these results. Police recorded crime data does not measure the true prevalence of domestic abuse. Comparisons with previous years should also be made carefully, as changes in police recording practices may affect the figures. Further information can be found on the Office for National Statistics webpage.
Page updated September 2025