My husband became violent after being with him for two years, to the outside world he was so charming but behind closed doors he was disrespectful and rude.

African American world famous evangelist Juanita Bynum referred to herself as the “new face of domestic violence” after experiencing abuse at the hands of her husband Bishop Thomas W. Weeks III, famous for his worldwide ministries.

Bynum was attacked last year August in a parking lot in Atlanta after a failed reconciliation attempt with her estranged husband Bishop Weeks. The incident shocked the world of Christianity, opening their eyes to the reality that domestic violence is an issue that needs to be addressed, even within the Christian community.

Figures released from the Home office last week showed that domestic violence within England and Wales is on the increase, as incidents last year nearly tripled in comparison to the previous years, with approximately 659,000 domestic incidents being reported to the police.

The Crime in England and Wales 2006/2007 report also showed that the rate of those being convicted of domestic violence has risen by 18.8 per cent. The reason for this increase is not clearly defined by the Home Office. However, financial and emotional stress have both been linked to domestic violence.

Steve Connor from The National Centre for Domestic Violence told Colourful: “Some of the triggers for domestic violence are alcohol, drugs, financial problems and stress - such as being tight for money. However, most incidents are cause by those who already have a violent background or nature and antagonise it.”

Financial stress along with excessive drinking and drug taking are two major factors said to trigger domestic violence, but there has been no explanation for the huge increase in incidents of domestic abuse over the past year. Research undertaken by Women’s Aid points to more women coming forward to report incidents to the police. They say that although on the surface there appears to be a massive increase, the reality is that more victims of domestic violence are reporting their abusers.

Two victims that found the courage to report their abusers were Gillian (no surname) and Joanne. Both victims experienced the physical and emotional abuse from being in a violent relationship. Joanne experienced her first violent attack after three years of marriage, when her husband accused her of having an affair.

Alcohol and substance abused linked to domestic violence

Some of the triggers for domestic violence are alcohol, drugs, financial problems and stress - such as being tight for money. Steve Connor, National Centre for Domestic Violenc

“We argued for an hour about whom I was supposingly having an affair with and I replied with an answer that he didn’t like in a sarcastic manor, which made him angry and then suddenly I felt my head touch the ground. As I rolled into a ball, he continued to kick and punch me telling me that he was going to kill me. Thank God that I managed to live to see another day suffering from bruises to my arm, back and eye”

Joanne told Colourful that she left her husband straight after the incident as she feared for her own and her daughter’s safety. Despite being a victim of domestic violence Joanne was one of the lucky ones, able to escape before the next attack. However, Gillian was not as lucky as she suffered 11 years of abuse from her controlling husband.

“My husband became violent after being with him for two years, to the outside world he was so charming but behind closed doors he was disrespectful and rude. The abuse became progressively worse, until I was so scared I didn’t know what to do or who to turn to. I began to drink heavily as I felt numb numb and better able to deal with his physical and psychological acts of abuse.”

After 11 years of being abused Gillian was able to get the support and strength from Women’s Aid and was finally able to leave her abusive husband. Figures released by the Women and Equality Unit reveal that women are more prone to domestic violence than men, as 89 per cent of victims suffering four or more attacks are women.

According to Steve Connor from the National Centre for Domestic Violence: “People are becoming wiser about domestic violence - more victims are reporting incidents and the police are carrying out more risk assessment which analyses the type of abuse and its relations.”

But despite more incidents being reported, domestic violence is still a major problem. The National Centre for Domestic Violence advises any women who experience violent abuse from their husband or partner to seek help immediately and not to be afraid to tell friends or relatives about their predicament.