The National Centre for Domestic Violence has launched ‘The Big Cover Up’ to highlight the under reporting of domestic abuse.
Created pro-bono by advertising agency Wunderman Thompson, the campaign features a series of partially covered-up billboards, partially hidden films and blocked social media channels to raise awareness of domestic violence.
The accompanying text includes: “The garage door fell on me,”, “It happened at my Thai boxing class,” or “I fell over”. They are excuses people give to hide abuse.
“What we are exposing is the sheer scale of unreported abuse in England and Wales” said Sharon Bryan, head of partnerships at the NCDV. “It’s tragic that so many people experiencing domestic abuse don’t feel they can speak out. It means the true scale of the issue is hidden.”
Surveys show that fewer than a fifth of women experiencing domestic abuse report it to the police in England and Wales.
The NCDV launched the campaign on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
