Around 120 people attended an event held to raise awareness of issues surrounding domestic abuse.
The event, which was organised by the South Western Domestic Abuse Forum and hosted by West Dorset District Council, was called the ‘Dynamics of Power and Control’.
The session was led by Zoe Lodrick, who is a registered Psychotherapist and an experienced trainer and consultant.
Zoe, who works with the police, health services, and councils, explored the psychology of offenders, the Neurobiology of threat and the impact of this on people who have been and are being abused.
Cllr Molly Rennie, who is West Dorset District Council’s Champion for Domestic Abuse and Chair of the Domestic Abuse Forum, attended the one-day event at the council offices in South Walks House last month. (24/11). The aim of the conference was to increase awareness of domestic abuse so those who attended can use this knowledge to improve their working practices.
Cllr Rennie, said: “It was a very informative and useful conference, it explained why people who face abuse ‘don’t just leave’. It looked at the power the abuser has and the effect of this on people of all ages and sexes. The conference message was about understanding this control.
“It was attended by people from many organisations and the feedback was very good, we had comments like ‘this was the best training ever attended’ and it ‘all makes sense now, amazing’ and ‘I wish I had known this sooner, I will never tell a victim what to do again’.
Cllr Susie Hosford, West Dorset District Council portfolio holder for Vulnerable Residents, who also attended, said: “This event was a great success, I’m very glad West Dorset District was able to host it. Everyone who attended gained valuable understanding of the dynamics that surround abuse, which will hopefully help them serve victims better.”
The event was organised as part of 16 Days of Action against Domestic Violence, which started on 25 November, which is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
In the United Kingdom two women are killed each week by an abusive partner and one in four women will face abuse in their lifetime.
