Thousands of children have been exposed to domestic violence in Northern Ireland in just over two years.
Police are expanding safeguarding scheme Operation Encompass, which provides support to children who have experienced domestic abuse, to the Belfast area so that it will now cover every school in Northern Ireland.
As part of the scheme, if an officer attends a domestic abuse incident where a child is present they are able to provide the relevant information to their school safeguarding team before 9am so that the correct support can be put in place.
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Since the beginning of the 2021 school year, police have attended 2,121 domestic incidents with 3,774 children exposed. This has resulted in 3,160 referrals being made by Police to the designated teacher at the relevant school.
28-year-old Paul (not his real name), experienced and witnessed domestic abuse at the hands of his father from ages six to 17, and voiced his support of Operation Encompass and the benefit it could provide other children.
He said: “It started when I was really young in primary school, I would hear all the arguing between my dad and my mum. I isolated myself in my room a lot of the time. When my mum left my dad, he got custody of me at the weekends. He would drink a lot and turned the abuse on me. Monday at school, after my weekends with him, was like my reset day.
"I remember being quiet, snapping at people who tried to talk to me and feeling drained with no one to talk to. Having this scheme available for children who are in the same position as I was, can only do great things. It provides them with a safe place, where they have the option of someone to talk to, on their terms. It takes away the onus on the child to speak out about something they don’t fully understand themselves.”
Below is a table of schools that have had referrals from the Police Service of Northern Ireland to date and the number of children safeguarded:
District |
Date Commenced |
Schools involved |
Number of Children |
Lisburn & Castlereagh City |
10 th Oct 2022 |
68 |
488 |
Ards & North Down |
10 th Oct 2022 |
60 |
514 |
Newry Mourne & Down |
6 th Sept 2021 |
120 |
978 |
Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon |
10 th Oct 2022 |
135 |
377 |
Mid Ulster |
10 th Oct 2022 |
76 |
389 |
Fermanagh & Omagh |
28 th Feb 2023 |
83 |
147 |
Derry City & Strabane |
28 th Feb 2023 |
89 |
339 |
Causeway Coast & Glens |
28 th Feb 2023 |
60 |
228 |
Mid & East Antrim |
28 th Feb 2023 |
46 |
130 |
Antrim & Newtownabbey |
28 th Feb 2023 |
54 |
184 |
TOTALS |
791 |
3774 |
Police say that they attend around 90 domestic incidents a day in Northern Ireland and that a child is often present during this.
Detective Superintendent Lindsay Fisher from the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Public Protection Branch said: “We respond to around 90 domestic abuse calls for service each and every day, and unfortunately children are often present.
“Operation Encompass really recognises children as unseen victims of domestic abuse. We know the impact of the trauma that children experience from seeing, overhearing or coming back into a house where there has been a domestic abuse incident.
“The scheme allows us to share information with schools in quick time so that we can best protect and support children through times that are incredibly difficult for them.
“School is often seen as a ‘safe place’ for a child in these circumstances and the support and understanding that teachers can provide should never be underestimated.
“We are delighted that this scheme is now fully operational across all schools in Northern Ireland. We are working in partnership to break the cycle of abuse.”
The Education Authority has thanked school based staff who have supported children who have been impacted by domestic abuse and welcomed the final rollout of the scheme.
Michael Kelly, Head of Service for the Child Protection Support Service, at the Education Authority, said: “The development of Operation Encompass is a demonstration of our commitment, to ensuring that all of our schools are equipped to support the most vulnerable children.
“Sadly, we know that domestic abuse is a common feature in the lives of many children. Feedback from schools to date has indicated that Operation Encompass has been transformational in terms of teacher’s ability to provide timely and informed support to child victims of domestic violence. I welcome to final stage of this regional rollout and look forward to continued work with our partners in this area.
“I would like to pay tribute to school based staff who have worked very hard in a challenging environment to get us to this point.”
Women's Aid have said that Operation Encompass is a hugely important initiative to support children.
Women's Aid Federation NI CEO, Sarah Mason said: “Women's Aid NI welcomes the final roll out of Operation Encompass across Northern Ireland. We know from our extensive experience of supporting children that often the smallest victims of domestic abuse are the biggest...they see it, hear it, feel it and fear it.
“In the aftermath of a domestic abuse incident, children can be extremely upset, frightened, tired and confused and teachers need to know and understand the reasons for this. Children often tell us that school is their safe place so it is vital that teachers are aware of and understand the situation at home and the child's support needs, which must be paramount.
“Op Encompass is a simple yet hugely important initiative that puts the child at the centre, and ensures teachers are informed, enabling them to fulfil their role as a social guardian.”
Permanent Secretary for Department of Education Dr Mark Browne said: “The Department has co-ordinated the introduction of Operation Encompass across education settings and we are aware of the positive impact the scheme has made in ensuring support in a school environment for children affected by domestic abuse. This includes building in arrangements for some of our most vulnerable young people, who may not be able to verbally communicate what they have experienced.
“Operation Encompass is a partnership and I commend the Education Authority and Police Service of Northern Ireland for their work in equipping and supporting staff during the roll out of this valuable initiative.”
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