Refuge launches impactful educational campaign in response
- Three quarters of UK adults unaware of true scale of domestic abuse
- Brits unlikely to report many less obvious forms of abuse
- Significant gender gap in recognising economic abuse
- Young people far less likely to recognise certain behaviours as abusive
New data commissioned by domestic abuse charity Refuge reveals the scale of domestic abuse is significantly underestimated, with only a quarter of UK adults (26%) aware that 1 in 4 women will experience it in their lifetime.
While nearly 80% of people would report physical abuse, when it comes to the less obvious forms of domestic abuse, such as coercive and controlling behaviour, as well as technology-facilitated, economic, and psychological abuse, recognition is far lower. Just 39%1 of people say they would report these less understood forms of abusive behaviour.
The survey also highlights that younger people, in particular, are less likely to spot the warning signs of abuse – only 57% of 18-24-year-olds consider ‘sharing images of them without consent’ to be abuse, compared to 88% of those aged over 55.
Men are also far less likely to recognise the subtle signs of economic abuse than women, with only 64% identifying ‘closely monitoring or tracking someone’s spending’ as abuse, compared to 80% of women.
In response to these findings, which underscore the urgent need for greater awareness of the many forms of domestic abuse, Refuge is unveiling a powerful new campaign for International Women’s Day (IWD), aimed at exposing the hidden dangers women face in abusive relationships.
The huge installation – created by London-based agency AMV BBDO in partnership with Pixel Artworks – will be hosted in Outernet London’s flagship digital exhibition space, The Now Building in Charing Cross Road, from 10am-8pm on Saturday 8 March.
Featuring up to 100 physical red flags, each displaying a quote from a domestic abuse survivor, it will show that many forms of domestic abuse go unrecognised, unseen, unreported, and untold.
The striking visuals will be accompanied by a dynamic soundscape, featuring the voices of well-known actors and TV personalities, including Olivia Colman, who won an Emmy and Golden Globe for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown; Bella Ramsay, celebrated for her role in The Last of Us; and Adjoa Andoh, known for playing Lady Danbury in the Netflix series Bridgerton. Their powerful renditions of survivors’ words will bring the campaign to life in a truly immersive experience.
Refuge ambassador Olivia Colman said: “Abuse doesn’t always look the way we expect it to. It’s in the small moments, the quiet control, and the silent manipulations. No red flag is too small to be noticed, because every woman deserves to live without fear.”
Bringing the physical and digital worlds together, this event will showcase the advanced technology of Outernet London’s immersive space, making use of the most advanced screens in the world to mirror the physical red flags, highlighting the scale of the issue.
The Red Flags installation is part of a month-long awareness campaign during which survivor experiences and content helping people better understand the toxic behaviours that can signal abuse will be shared across social media by Refuge and its ambassadors. Actor and poet Caitlin O’Ryan has also written a poem for the campaign, entitled Why Did You Stay? which she will perform live on the day.
Abigail Ampofo, Interim Chief Executive of Refuge, said: “Domestic abuse often operates in the shadows, manifesting in subtle, insidious ways that are hard to recognise. As technology and cultural norms evolve, abuse becomes more difficult to spot.
“This campaign seeks to expose these hidden forms, using the voices of survivors to make the red flags impossible to ignore. We want women to know they are not alone, and Refuge is here to support them.
“We’re grateful to everyone who helped bring this campaign to life and are excited to share it on International Women’s Day “
Lauren Peters, art director at AMV BBDO, said: “Abuse has become more pervasive, infiltrating every aspect of our lives – our phones, culture, bank accounts and technology – but Refuge has evolved with it, showing up wherever abuse does.
“We wanted to take the red flag image and use it to highlight these different forms of harm, featuring real quotes from survivors – sharing their stories while protecting their anonymity – to paint a picture of abuse, exposing how endless it is and in how many ways it shows up.”
The installation has been made possible through the support of a number of partners:
Outernet London is the official media partner, providing a unique environment to highlight the issue of domestic abuse.
Jessica Dracup-Holland, CMO at Outernet said: “We are incredibly proud to be partnering with Refuge for its Red Flags campaign which uses our incredible immersive space to shine a light on the hidden signs of domestic abuse and amplify the voices of survivors. This partnership not only engages and educates, but also encourages action, ensuring no red flag is ignored.”
The Co-operative Bank, a long-term partner of Refuge, campaigns on the causes that matter to its customers. To mark International Women’s Day and to complement the campaign, Co-operative bank branches will be displaying posters in windows to remind customers and the general public that its branches are safe spaces for survivors to get help.
Maria Cearns, Chief Operating Officer at The Co-operative Bank, said: “It’s astonishing that so many women, and by extension, so many of our customers will experience abuse in their lifetime. We’re incredibly proud to continue our work with Refuge and to support this campaign, to raise awareness of the abusive red flags that are all too common in relationships.
2CV will be conducting an exit survey of visitors to gather valuable insights on the impact of the campaign and the public’s understanding of domestic abuse.
Claire Jansen, Research Director at 2CV, said: “We are delighted to support Refuge on the evaluation of their Red Flags installation at Outernet. Not only are we using our latest AI-led research methods to provide valuable insight to measure impact and inform future campaigns, but we’re part of something that promotes a cause that we really believe in, and we know will make a real difference.”
Pixel Artworks has created the images being featured on the Outernet’s digital screens, providing its expertise and creative support to enhance the campaign’s visual impact.
Svenja Frahm, Creative Director at Pixel Artworks, said: “We felt privileged to be invited to work on this campaign at the incredible space at Outernet. The installation is humbling and we’re sure most women will recognise themselves in the quotes; the strength of this installation lies in its accessibility to all. We worked on expanding the physical flag setup into the digital realm, continuing the red flags to infinity to symbolise the countless forms of abuse women face. We hope our content helps visitors understand the breadth of red flags in relationships, to enable them to support the women in their lives. That way we can all contribute towards making the world a refuge.”
Collective Studios played a key role in Refuge’s red flag campaign by manufacturing the flags, overseeing their setup and takedown, and providing security throughout the event to ensure a safe experience.
Notes
1 This was calculated taking the average of all non-physical abuse statements in question 2 i.e. taunting, belittling, or ‘gas-lighting’ someone (42%), isolating someone from their family and friends (52%), closely monitoring or tracking someone’s spending (28%), sharing images of them without consent (58%), tracking someone’s location via their phone (30%), continually checking in/asking who they’re texting (25%), demanding access to someone’s phone (30%), and deciding/controlling the amount of sleep someone can have (43%).
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2256 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 20-21 February 2025. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).
The actors and TV personalities who generously lent their voices to this campaign are Olivia Colman, Imelda Staunton, Bella Ramsey, Adjoa Andoh, Billie Piper, Ranvir Singh, Juliet Stevenson, Zara McDermott, Saffron Hocking, Nikita Kanda, Ellie Bamber and Charli Howard.