Charity warns domestic abuse survivors face unequal fight for safety

Survivors of domestic abuse are facing stark inequalities in their journey to safety, according to new Routes to Safety research from SafeLives.

launched to mark the global 16 Days of Activism campaign, The study found that the more marginalised identities a survivor holds, the greater the barriers to support:

• New research shows that survivors of domestic abuse face stark inequalities in their journey to safety, with experiences shaped by identity.
• Disabled survivors experience longer abuse, higher risk, and worse outcomes across all measures.
• LGBTQ+ survivors are among the least likely to access support, and most report significant mental health needs.
• Older survivors (51+) from racially minoritised backgrounds experience the longest durations of abuse.
• Younger survivors can face shorter abuse periods but higher risk levels at first contact with services.
• White women endure domestic abuse for nearly 6 years before receiving effective support. For Asian/ Asian British women, the average duration is almost 7.5 years – and for Asian/ Asian British disabled women, it stretches to nearly 9 years.
• Perpetrators frequently weaponise identity, exploiting disability, immigration status, or sexuality to control survivors.

Funded by the Nuffield Foundation, the report reveals that a persons identity, such as race, disability, sexuality, and age, can significantly affect how long abuse lasts, how quickly survivors access support and that services are not set up to meet multiple, complex needs.  

Drawing on data from over 30,000 cases, Routes to Safety exposes how identities compound barriers to help, leaving many survivors unseen, unsupported, and at greater risk.

SafeLives calls for a radical reform of routes to safety, including alternative referral pathways, diverse methods of contact, and trauma-informed care that reflects the unique needs of all survivors.

Nanya Coles, Research Manager at SafeLives commented:

Too many people remain unsafe for too long simply because they don’t match a narrow idea of what a ‘typical’ victim looks like.

The research found that many individuals with marginalised identities only approach services at the point of crisis, often after physical violence has begun.  

For others, support is delayed because services are not set up to meet the needs of people from different backgrounds or with multiple, complex needs. 

It took me seven disclosure attempts before someone actually took me seriously.

Disparities are not only seen in the duration of abuse and help received, but also in the nature of the abuse itself. 

The research found that perpetrators of domestic abuse often weaponise a victim’s identity. This can be obvious, such as withholding essential medication, threatening deportation, or exposing someone’s gender or sexual identity.  

The impact of domestic abuse on marginalised communities can be profound and long-lasting, leading to further challenges such as mental or physical ill-health, homelessness, or unemployment. Survivors in these communities can also experience heightened isolation, both from the abuse itself and from existing social exclusion.   

Lyn, a Women’s Support Officer at SEEAWA, supports migrant, refugee, and diaspora women from East and Southeast Asian communities in the UK. Lyn said organisations such as SEEAWA are a lifeline for women who sometimes can’t speak English and struggle to navigate a complex system while fleeing abuse.  

Lyn commented:

We are a lifeline. From the moment a woman discloses abuse, we walk with her every step of the way, ensuring safety, navigating housing, assisting with immigration and domestic abuse, and helping her access benefits and long-term stability through permanent social housing.

I hope domestic abuse victims can receive practical support but also culturally sensitive and appropriate care, empowerment, and befriending that rebuilds confidence and hope, like we do in SEEAWA.As a small community organisation, we rely on continued funding to sustain this life-changing work.

SafeLives highlights that by-and-for services play a vital role in bridging the gap – fostering trust and providing culturally relevant, accessible pathways to safety. However, they face challenges including limited funding and restricted powers.

SafeLives says the findings from Routes to Safety offers a path to creating fairer, more effective services that help everyone find safety sooner. The report urges that survivors must be at the centre of care, receiving tailored, timely, and effective support to help them overcome barriers and become safer, sooner.

Nanya Coles, Research Manager at SafeLives and author of Routes to Safety, said:

Language barriers, inaccessible spaces, strict eligibility criteria, caring responsibilities, and immigration or health status can prevent people from accessing support.

Without services that recognise and respond to the realities of intersecting identities, survivors risk being misunderstood, unsupported, and left in danger.

Our findings show that services designed and delivered by the communities they serve can provide a more accessible route to help. By meeting people in familiar spaces through local groups, social media, or word of mouth, trust is built, and obstacles are removed.

When professionals are proactive and support is shaped around lived realities, engagement improves, and survivors can get the help they need.

Organisations must learn from what works and invest in training on intersectionality, disclosure response, hidden bias, and risk, co-designed with survivors themselves. Embedding lived experience into frontline, policy, and leadership roles will ensure cultural knowledge and trust are built into services.

By-and-for services, rooted in shared identity and lived experience, need greater funding, authority, and formal referral links with statutory organisations.

Above all, responses must support the whole person: survivors need personalised, trauma-informed support plans shaped around who delivers the care, where and how it is provided, and what combination of practical and emotional support is required.

SafeLives is the UK-wide charity dedicated to ending domestic abuse, for everyone and for good. They train professionals, conduct research, and challenge perpetrators to change.

You can download the full report and its recommendations here.

The Nuffield Foundation is an independent charitable trust with a mission to advance social well-being. It funds and undertakes rigorous research, encourages innovation and supports the use of sound evidence to inform social and economic policy, and improve people’s lives.

The Nuffield Foundation is the founder and co-funder of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, the Ada Lovelace Institute and the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory.  This project has been funded by the Nuffield Foundation, but the views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily the Foundation. Find out more at: www.nuffieldfoundation.org. Bluesky: @nuffieldfoundation.org, LinkedIn: Nuffield Foundation