Cumbria Police has now launched a domestic abuse awareness campaign after revealing they deal with at least 17 incidents of domestic abuse everyday across the county.

Almost half of these reports are from people who have experienced violence before.

The campaign is set to run during the Christmas period and will feature the daily promotion of different supporting services on the force’s social media accounts.

The support services being highlighted provide a range of help of victims of domestic abuse in Cumbria. The campaign will also encourage reporting and raise awareness of domestic abuse offences.

There are five areas domestic abuse is categorised into; controlling behaviour, where a perpetrator controls areas of the victim’s life; coercive behaviour, where the victim is forced to do things against their will; financial abuse where the perpetrator control’s the victims finances or restricts what money they can access; psychological abuse, where the perpetrator destroys the confidence, outlook or mind set of the victim and physical abuse.

The constabulary will be hosting weekly domestic abuse surgeries through events on their Facebook page.

The surgeries are supported by the constabulary and partner agencies - giving the public access to several professional support services in one easily accessible place. These events will run on Wednesdays on the run up to Christmas. Due to many factors cases of domestic abuse commonly increase in December. The constabulary’s campaign is set to send a clear message to victims - There is support available for you.

Force lead for domestic abuse, Detective Chief Inspector James Yallop, said: “This campaign aims to highlight the support services available to the public so they can get the advice and support they may need. Getting the right support can empower someone to take their next positive step forward.

“We also want to encourage victims to report abuse. Incidents will be investigated thoroughly and sensitively and we will help people get the support they need.”

You can access support services regardless of if you have reported a crime to the police. To access support services independently, contact Victim Support 24/7 on 0808 1689 111 or visit the Cumbria Together website www.cumbriatogether.com.