Dating violence complaints have increased by 10% in 5 years, with PSP receiving 10,480 complaints.

On Valentine’s Day this Tuesday, the Public Safety Police say it received 10,480 complaints of dating violence between 2018 and 2022, with the majority of the victims being women. According to the PSP, there were 1,920 complaints in 2018, 2,185 in the following year, in 2020 their number decreased to 2,051, in 2021 to 2,215 complaints, and last year the number of complaints decreased again – 2 109 complaints.

Police note that dating violence takes on physical, psychological, social, sexual, and economic dimensions, and that violence can be carried out through insults, threats, insults, aggression, humiliation, stalking, or intimacy intrusions. The PSP urges victims, as well as those closest to them, to be aware of signs of ongoing pressure, such as isolation from family and friends at the behest of the aggressor.

To commemorate Valentine’s Day, PSP is running an awareness campaign in schools to prevent domestic violence, namely dating violence, from Tuesday to February 18, an initiative aimed at young people aged 13 to 18. years. Over the past five academic years, the Safe School program has had a presence in the police force with the topic of dating violence, and PSP has conducted over 4,100 specific awareness raising events involving over 89,300 students.

In the 2021/2022 academic year, 1,297 educational events were held with the participation of 24,149 students. The PSP also calls for the condemnation of violence, whether during dating or in any other context, and a complaint can be made to police stations or safe school groups (in a school context) or victim advocacy and support groups, in addition to being able to request support at [email protected] or [email protected].