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Deaf women and the issue of violence

ByDeaf 21

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is observed annually on November 25th. This year it falls on Tuesday 25th November and the day marks the start of 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, which runs until December 10th, Human Rights Day. The purpose is to raise awareness and call for action to end all forms of violence against women and girls globally in all its forms, including domestic violence.

This year the theme is UNiTE to End Digital Violence against Women and Girls. Violence against women on online platforms is a serious and rapidly growing threat (like so many other things male derived) that seeks to imitate or silence women – especially those with a strong presence in politics, activism and journalism.

Two in-depth articles from the UN describe the digital threat against women. 1) What is the manosphere and why should we care? 2) How to counter the manosphere’s toxic influence.

Important hashtags used are ACTtoEndViolence #NoExcuse, #DVAW, #VAWG.

Below is just a small sample of the online abuse women get for simply being successful. Incels thrive on this kind of abuse.

No doubt Deaf women do also suffer these abuses described above however the extent isn’t very well known. In some situations there is perhaps rudimentary research whilst in others there is no research and what is worse is there’s little recourse to both support and justice in terms of digital harassment and violence.

Update 26/11/2025: The Italian Government votes to make femicide a crime.

Violence against women

Violence against women is hugely problematic. In South Africa for example it is massively endemic. Its six times the average international rate of gender based violence, which means a woman murdered every 2.5 hours. The level of domestic violence that is experienced is equally shocking especially as estimates deem there’s a victim every four minutes or so. On November 21st 2025 the South African government ‘officially classified gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) as a national disaster.’1

It all depends on the level of patriarchy plus the level of ‘ownership’ or even indifference that is bestowed upon women. It happens right across the spectrum – in families, in relationships and of course in marriages, as well as randomly – in the street or in some public building or even on transport. Even just recently in India a Deaf women was attacked and raped by two men – this being the same two men whom had raped her some months earlier and caused her to be pregnant. She died as a result of this second attack. Its not even the only horrific attack upon Deaf women in that country as there have been many other instances. Deaf women evidently run a far greater risk than hearing women there. The level of male entitlement that seems to be apparent there no doubt has a considerable impact on whether women will experience domestic violence or worse, even possibly even be murdered.

One must never forget Sarah Everard. This because it was the police, the Met Police’s own officer who instigated that horrific murder and it was also the Met Police who arrested a lot of women attending a vigil to remember her, and yet again its the Met Police who have continued this horrific quest again women even though successive Commissioners have claimed they are getting to grips with the issue of rogue officers. A recent Panorama special this year showed that was not even the case. And even so one officer in particular has come up again recently regarding numerous past abuses against women and children.

Evidently it is a huge problem even among hearing women. For Deaf women it is patently far worse. Essentially there’s even less entitlement perceived than that for hearing women. In a lot of ways a Deaf woman is barely entitled to have any right to say no and that is because of a perceived attitude that has been largely garnered by the hearing world and how the Deaf’s integrity is evaluated. There’s no doubt that any increased abuse against Deaf women must certainly happen because of the huge imbalance in ‘power’ between the hearing and the Deaf – although it must be said deaf men too are quite stoic in their belief they have some form of right over a woman’s body. There has been a considerable amount of sexual abuse (which too comes with violence) against Deaf women by deaf men, as well as hearing men – and currently there is a campaign in America largely involving Gallaudet which seeks to stop this.

There are quite a few mechanisms in practically every society that exists which gives the impression a woman is the man’s property – and there is classic resistance in acknowledging or even recognising that such issues actually exist and that these perpetuate on a massive scale. Its because the given standards which are ‘understood’ through families, social observation, and perceived notions no doubt give a boost in this particular status. These are piled right on top of the desire for procreation so its hard to see where ‘nature’ (as built in the human mind) ends and those problematic constructs begin. For men especially, a woman on their arms is very much a social status indicator. Indeed the acquisition of a woman as a partner/wife is highly important for many men – and no doubt its because society is largely built on the foundations of patriarchy.

Christina Ricci reshares Jameela Jamil’s video discussing the statistics on sexual violence against women from men: “Maybe we should be talking about how many men out of 3 will SA someone in their lifetime instead of how many women out of 3 will be assaulted. Let’s shift the ownership”
byu/cmaia1503 inFauxmoi

Shifting the ownership of violence against women. Its a good attempt – but more still needs to be done to challenge the evils of patriarchy. There is of course the problem that patriarchy is supported in ways that could only be deemed as a reverse misogyny.

Even in the Deaf world there is much that gives a notion that men are still in control. For example as a recent forum discussion reveals, deaf men are still behind the dictates for what is deemed to be sexual gratification or conquest in the Deaf world. That of course follows the hearing world where ‘ownership’ of women is still seen as a considerable right. This sort of ‘right’ pervades in many ways, leading to issues such as control of women and even the violence that is enacted against women. Evidently the Deaf world is in a sense trailing behind the hearing world in terms of domestic violence (not forgetting sexual violence too) – and there are many reports (and indeed surveys) that shows this is a problem. Some of this is of course due to the lack of information but also the lack of counselling or help that is available. Its not just in the UK but in the USA and many other countries that this is a considerable problem.

Instances of domestic violence have been exponential since COVID in both worlds however – and there is no doubt Deaf women have been considerably affected. Its rare for Deaf women to be killed however the obverse in terms of ratio is they do experience a greater level of violence than their hearing counterparts. Its not to say that violence against Deaf women has abated in any way or form. And just mentioned, since COVID it is actually on the increase. Its very concerning and this is following the general trend in hearing society where violence is most problematic. The difference however is the provision for the Deaf and that for hearing. In terms of the former there are large parts of the country without any provision of any sort including support services, refuges, etc. whilst for the latter most parts of the UK are covered.

It seems the UK is somewhat behind compared to other countries when it comes to this very appalling matter. There is no doubt the UK has a problem of sorts when it comes to both domestic violence and rape, however the actual scale of the issue is difficult to ascertain. In many ways its because the approach effected by policing has been at best misguided and at worst too over-bearing (that is, treating the victims as if they are liars or the ones who had started the problem) and the legal situation in the UK is that both the law and the justice system has been quite unfair to women who are victims of violence or rape. One must not forget the police too, a considerably male institution, has also been responsible for violence against women. Despite many assurances the Metropolitan Police seem quite incapable of filtering those bad apples that exist in its organisation, and this especially so after the horrific murder of Sarah Everard.

#NotinmyName is no doubt a movement that was established after Sarah Everard and it was intended to raise awareness that men, no matter where they are, be in in the streets or the workplace or even in the police force, are excusable from the many crimes and misdemeanours against women. The Met have regularly found itself at task when yet more male perpetrators had been found in its organisation. The recent investigation by Panorama found a number of officers at Charing Cross had committed many misdeeds, including racist and sexual slurs, as well as portraying women in an extremely negative light in total disregard of the duties expected of these officers. Even victims of rape were disbelieved. All of this was captured and recorded by a BBC insider on video and audio.

There’s no doubt it does not matter what system it is and where it is sited in the social order (or hierarchy or whatever – let’s not forget politics either) the problem of men still stands out. Even a recent report highlights men who are at first domestic violence abusers and then they go on to do worse later. Essentially the whole modus of how it happens and the entire system that is meant to respond or to give counselling and support is still somewhat of a mess thus its often inconsistent in its approach. In a way its somewhat unsurprising given a large part of the police and the justice system consist of males. Even female barristers very clearly describe the existence of what is clearly an ‘old boys network’ which does indeed continue to thrive. There is every evidence that male power/influence is still utilised to disadvantage women even in the most unexpected places. An overall overview of the ‘system’ does present what seems to be a series of outstanding issues which are once again down to the role of men. There has been clear evidence that this ‘boys network’ has attempted to shut down and silence female barristers. That is no sort of justice nor does it give women any confidence that the UK’s justice system has a real intent in terms of serving justice.

When one considers the overall structure of any society, it is inevitably male orientated. Politics, religion, social situations, and so on. Women are still seen as the means by which men set their existence – which is that the female body is purposefully useful for the existence of men and their continued lineage. Its why so often a name change is expected of a woman when she gets married – its not her name but the man’s name that is being carried forward in legal terms. Nowadays more women choose to keep their original name when getting married. At the other end of the scale one wonders what even marriage is for when it has been nothing but a tool of patriarchy. No doubt the clouds of romance (and what the churches and religious institutions decree too) gives the illusion that men and women must be bonded in holy matrimony and the way it has been done is that it gives the male the idea they alone have the entitlement and dictation in a marriage.

The litmus test comes in the form of how the services and the justice system deals with the issues. There is clear evidence rape has been increasing. Rape is of course another part of the issues surrounding domestic violence. Indeed for some years it has been said that rape is essentially decriminalised in the UK. This first instances of this came about in 2009 during the case of John Worboys – and the large numbers of rapes being perpetuated during that period gave rise to the notion that the Met had effectively decriminalised rape. Even now, there is a general suspicion that the Met continue to do so. Several leading academics including Betsy Stanko have claimed is rape can be conducted almost with impunity and the legal system will struggle to even apprehend or incarcerate the perpetrators. This ‘decriminalisation’ of rape has no doubt weakened both the resolve and the means for the system to tackle the problems at heart – and to apprehend the perpetrators at large.

There’s no doubt the issues that prevail have not gone away and in 2025 are still outstanding – which shows that for some reason society has not yet got to grips with the situation of women and how they face violence from men. Actually the issues are more prevalent. Nevertheless there’s a whole series of debates as to where the problems could lie. Why for example did the Met Police both see a substantial increase in the attrition rate for rapes and also what was apparently a horrific increase in the rate of misogynism and violence against women? In the early part of 2025 there was some evidence that attrition rates were decreasing but this was quite small. But not only, there is also the problem being that the policing and support systems are still struggling – this in large due to cuts and budget constraints.2

This is all unsurprising given the effects it has on women’s’ confidence when such an inconsistent approach from the policing and legal services is apparent. If the hearing sphere is struggling under such an aegis, then it can only follow that under a Deaf environment, it is almost invariably going to be far worse. This inconstancy does double and indeed does triple (depending on which report one reads) when it comes to Deaf women and that is because of a number of factors that have to be taken into consideration. Evidently those who analyse the various data do so in different ways and are based in different parts of the UK no doubt means each approach will differ in its findings.

It might surprise one to learn around 22 (twenty two) Deaf women who face domestic violence every day. That’s 150 women or so a week who are affected by this. There are no statistics for those who are victims of rape – which makes it even more problematic in determining the extent of the totality of violence against Deaf women. Its been said that Deaf women are two to three times3 at greater risk of domestic abuse. Some reports suggest this might be as high as four times4 greater than the hearing average.

One of the deciding factors especially in terms of Deaf/hearing relationships is how things work. Deaf + sign language is, as always, off to a poor start while those with speech are onto, for want of a better phrase, a considerable advantage. This is something that is not new, it has been extant since time immemorial and yours truly has experienced it too in terms of their being a victim of sexual abuse. What it means is in terms of hearing-hearing infraction there is usually a level playing field (not always of course) however in terms of hearing-Deaf the field is inevitably deployed with a focus of advantage that is almost invariably conferred to the hearing person.

In the context of a female client who is deaf, police have attended. Their first response, because her manner of communication obviously is non-verbal and she will rely more on hand gestures, she was very heightened. The perpetrator, who was male, was very calm. So when police had arrived, because a call for assistance has been made on her behalf, they have, in their wisdom, assessed that she was actually the perpetrator of that violence, given that he was able to speak to police calmly. (Royal Commission Australia).

The stance in regards to things like this is the ability of the hearing to push the Deaf out of the equation and that by large because it is a hearing society after all. Imagine the effect if the roles were reversed and it was Deaf police who arrived and the perpetrator had to converse through a interpreter instead rather than verbally direct, there is no doubt the status quo would change. But its not something a hearing society could ever perceivably think of or even consider as being anything of importance. Thus the sense of cognitive dissonance which exists in terms of a speech society will ensure a sheer level of inequality when it comes to hearing/Deaf. Besides that very problem, it must not be forgotten when its also a world largely policed, socialised and politicalised by men, it seems there may well be little change.

Challenges in accessing support

  • Lack of specialized services: There are considerable gaps in the support especially led by deaf professionals who use BSL – but some organisations are trying. The Deaf charity Sign Health has been working to provide what is no doubt a comprehensive support system for victims of domestic violence.
  • Communication support: There’s no doubt a lack of accessible information in BSL makes it difficult for deaf women to understand their rights, or report abuse and to access services effectively. The availability and quality of deaf domestic abuse services can vary significantly depending on geographical location. Not only that many service providers are not equipped to understand the culture or specific needs of the Deaf community. 
  • Social isolation: Deaf individuals often experience communication deprivation and social isolation, which perpetrators can exploit to deepen their control and limit victims’ ability to seek help. Perpetrators actively weaponize a deaf person’s deafness by increasing their vulnerability, creating barriers to reporting, and diminishing their credibility with authorities.
  • Audism and discrimination: Attitudes based on “audism” (hearing supremacy) can affect the healthcare and support services that Deaf individuals encounter.
  • Child involvement: In some deaf families, children may be used as “language brokers” to help with communication, which can put them at risk of trauma and further complicate their involvement in domestic abuse situations. 

Some UK organisations plus articles:

  • Domestic Abuse and Barriers for Deaf Survivors 17 Jun 2022 – Effective support needs to be able to meet the varied communication needs for BSL, Sign Supported English, lipreading, or those using hearing aids or cochlear implants. The culture of the Deaf community and the challenges of fleeing abuse within a small community, are also important in terms of understanding the intersectional inequalities, plus the trauma that’s amplified by communication deprivation. [Faith and VAWG Coalition].
  • New study to explore impact of domestic abuse on deaf survivors and families – November 2024. Research that examines the impact of domestic abuse on families when children of deaf mothers are relied upon to interpret, highlighting the trauma these children may endure as co-victims. This is a new and important research highlighting the severe emotional strain on both child and Deaf mothers. [University of Edinburgh School of Social and Political Science].
  • Freedom Programme – This focuses on Deaf domestic abuse victims. Its a course provided in British Sign Language to support Deaf victims and help to recognise the red flags within relationships, to prepare a safety plan and to focus on a safe and happy future. [Cambridgeshire Deaf Association Domestic Abuse Course For Deaf Women].
  • Supporting deaf people: empowering survivors of gender – Supporting deaf people: empowering survivors of gender-based violence through research. This is a project covering the issues of communication for those Deaf women who have suffered domestic violence. To try and understand what the needs are and what services should be provided. [Heriot-Watt University].
  • Support for deaf and deafblind women in the maternity setting – Article written September 2022. The issues of appropriate communication for deaf and deafblind people. Often its that the wrong communication professional attends, or no communication support is given at all. The article looks at ways these issues can be resolved. [Maternity & Midwifery Forum].

Counting Dead Women is one of the various organisations that highlights just how many men kill women. There is no doubt domestic violence often leads to killing and in quite a number of situations the police and services have clearly acted too late.

In terms of men there are indeed some who suffer domestic violence too. The statistics differ greatly. However some organisations do offer support. The sobering fact however is the greater bulk of domestic violence is very clearly conducted against women. This invariably because it is a patriarchy and what is worse domestic violence doesn’t have to be directly linked to the home. It can be linked to casual relationships and also couples who are engaged. Even long distance relationships can suffer too.

References:

  1. Majadibodu, S. (2025). South Africa declares gender-based violence and femicide a national disaster. IOL. Available at: https://iol.co.za/news/politics/2025-11-21-south-africa-declares-gender-based-violence-and-femicide-a-national-disaster/ [Accessed 23 November 2025]. ↩︎
  2. Victims Commissioner. (2025). Victim attrition falls, but progress is ‘fragile’ amid uncertainty over support services funding – Victims Commissioner. Available at: https://victimscommissioner.org.uk/news/victim-attrition-falls-but-progress-is-fragile-amid-uncertainty-over-support-services-funding/ [Accessed November 2025].
    ‌ ↩︎
  3. UK Parliament. Written Evidence by Sign Health. Available at: https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/140977/pdf/ [Accessed November 2025]. ↩︎
  4. Safeguarding the Deaf Community. Available at: https://safeguardinghavering.org.uk/adultsboard/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/02/Safeguarding-the-Deaf-Community.pdf [Accessed November 2025]. ↩︎

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