and at least 55 projects in the process of setting up. (Hague and Malos 1995) In 1990 the Home Office issues a circular (C/60/90) to all police forces requiring them to develop an effective response to domestic violence. Since then many police forces have set up Domestic Violence Units to respond to victims and assist them in pursuing criminal prosecution, civil protection measures or moving them to a refuge or other place of safety. So is the State doing anything to protect women from violence within the home? The Violence against Women Initiative is part of the 250 million Crime Reduction Program which the Home Secretary announced in the summer of 1998. The CRP is evidence led programs that aims to reverse the long-term rise in crime by identifying and piloting a range of cost effective approaches to reducing crime. 6.3 million has been made available to local agencies/multi-agency partnerships to develop and implement local strategies for reducing two types of violence experienced by women: Domestic Violence and Rape and sexual assault by known perpetrators. Now at least the state is actually admitting that domestic violence is something that cannot be kept swept under the carpet any longer. The 1993 Home Affairs Select Committee (HASC) Report on Domestic Violence has helped to bring domestic abuse out into the open. It findings noted that domestic violence is not limited to any particular class or social group as some approaches have. From April 1999 a new definition of domestic violence came into effect for use in police returns to the HMIC (her majestys Inspectorate of Constabulary). This definition was intended for statistical purposes only, and was designed to allow easier comparison of domestic violence statistics between police forces and to give a better understanding of the nature of information being collected. Organizations were encouraged to make their own definitions according to local needs and circumstances and Forces...
