Last week, a new national assessment of violence against women and girls provided the clearest picture yet of the scale and nature of the threat facing women and girls across England and Wales, writes Clare Moody.
Published by the National Centre for Violence Against Women and Girls and Public Protection, the assessment found that domestic abuse accounts for 65 per cent of all violence against women and girls offences.
It also highlighted the significant role played by repeat perpetrators, who are linked to at least a quarter of offences, and the growing impact of online harms and harmful content.
That has been accompanied by the most recent Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) results that 9.6 per cent of people aged 16 and over had experienced domestic abuse in the last year which equates to about 4.7m people.
These findings are deeply concerning, but they reinforce something we already know: if we are serious about tackling violence against women and girls, we cannot focus solely on what happens after harm has occurred.
Victims and survivors deserve to be heard, supported and treated with dignity when they come forward.
Through my office, I continue to invest in specialist services that support those affected by domestic abuse, sexual violence and other forms of abuse.
But support after the fact is only part of the solution.
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We must also do more to prevent harm from happening in the first place.
One of the most striking findings in this assessment is the role that online influences, peer dynamics and unhealthy relationship norms can play in harmful behaviour among teenagers.
If we want to change the future, we need to start those conversations early.
That is why I have funded access to Pol-Ed for every school in Avon and Somerset.
Pol-Ed is an educational platform that helps schools deliver lessons on topics including healthy relationships, consent, respect, online safety and exploitation.
The funding is there so that schools can access it free of charge.
The assessment also makes clear that this is not a challenge for policing alone.
Schools, parents, health services, local authorities, community organisations and technology companies all have a role to play.
Violence against women and girls is not inevitable.
By supporting victims and survivors, holding perpetrators to account and investing in prevention and education, we can make a difference.
So my ask is a simple one: if you are a parent, carer, governor, teacher or school leader, ask whether your school is making use of Pol-Ed.
The conversations we have with young people today can help prevent harm tomorrow.
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