Another assault

A disturbing picture of victimisation of people with mental health problems…and how we can tackle it

People experiencing mental distress are far more likely to be hit, sexually assaulted, harassed or targeted by thieves than people without mental health problems. These are the disturbing findings from Another Assault, a recent Mind report about victimisation and equality in the justice system.

Seventy one per cent of people living in the community with a mental health problem who responded to our survey had been the victim of crime in the past two years. Around 40 per cent of respondents were the target of ongoing harassment.

Equally concerning was the failure of criminal justice agencies, health and social services to respond satisfactorily to incidents – crimes - occurring both in the community and in hospital. Two thirds of victims of crime in our survey were completely or somewhat dissatisfied with the overall response to reporting the incident, and just six per cent were completely satisfied.

Mind believes the barriers to justice highlighted in our report are unacceptable, and pose a serious threat to the rights and citizenship of people living with mental distress.

Discrimination

Mind’s research confirms what we could have expected given the existing research into the experiences of ‘vulnerable’ groups. Older people, people with a physical or learning disability and people in hospital or in prison all experience high rates of victimisation. So it is concerning, but not surprising, that people with mental health problems do, too.

Why does this happen? Stigma and ignorance around mental distress, like other disabilities, breed fear and discrimination and this translates into hate crime. People who are experiencing acute distress or illness may be ‘easy targets’ – less able to tell their story, fearful of reprisals if they report the incident, less likely to be believed. People using health services can feel very disempowered, particularly those in residential care or detained in hospital, making it harder to report a crime.

Low reporting rates

Fear and mistrust of the police is a serious barrier to justice. Some people with severe mental health problems have high levels of police contact, not just as victims of crime but through offending behaviour and police ‘places of safety’ powers under the Mental Health Act. Previous run-ins had a strong impact - people we spoke to doubted the sympathy the police would have shown if they had subsequently tried to report a crime. Their expectations were of discriminatory attitudes, the use of force-possibly being seen as the perpetrator rather than the victim- a lack of interest and being put at the bottom of a busy police officer’s list of priorities.

Some people don’t even get that far. Many people will choose to tell a friend, family member or carer before they go to the police. People with a long history of health service use and poor social networks may feel most able to talk to their professional careworker or CPN. The reaction of that first contact will determine whether the incident is reported to the police or not.

Sadly, people with mental distress reported that mental health professionals were often dismissive of reports of harassment, theft or assault. People told Mind that their careworker, CPN or housing worker had brushed incidents under the carpet.

Our research painted a picture of a hostile culture to complaints and, all too often, acceptance by staff and service users alike that theft and violence are part of the inpatient’s experience. Because of the lack of response by authorities of any kind, victims of crime or poor treatment turn their experience in on themselves, thinking it is their fault or they ‘were asking for it’ simply by having a mental health problem.

Speaking out Mind is calling for a number of changes to tackle these barriers to reporting. Many of our recommendations reflect the need for criminal justice agencies to respond better to people with mental distress who have been the victim of crime. But the police cannot tackle this issue alone.

Third party reporting systems should be made available across the country, so that people with mental distress can tell their story in a safe environment before deciding whether to report to the police. Voluntary sector support schemes or advocates are invaluable, providing expertise and support that empowers victims to speak out.

Mind believes health and social care staff must also play a role in increasing reporting rates. It is crucial to raise awareness among health professionals about high rates of victimisation, to encourage staff to act on service users’ reports of incidents.

Mind also made representations to the Department of Health about the need for health and social care complaints procedures to be more accessible, responsive and flexible to diverse needs. Making justice more accessible is not just about reviewing structures and protocols, but about tackling the culture of complacency. All professionals responsible for the handling of complaints should receive mental health awareness training to quash stereotypes about people with mental health problems ‘making things up’ or ‘imagining things.’ False allegations are rare. T here should be an assumption that a complaint is valid until it is thoroughly investigated and proved otherwise.

The upcoming review of No Secrets, the DH guidance on adult safeguarding, provides an opportunity to assess how well health and social services work with the police. Mind is calling for greater information sharing and stronger obligations for partnership working. Often, abuse follows a pattern - it occurs when individuals are acutely unwell and is dealt out by the same neighbours or acquaintances or supposed ‘friends’ each time. Together, agencies might flag up when individuals known to services might be at risk of harm from exploitation, anti-social behaviour or harassment and ensure that adequate safeguards - increased supervision by carers, signposting to reporting or advocacy schemes, neighbourhood vigilance - are put in place to prevent this from happening.

A concerted effort Mind’s research shows that much more needs to be done to tackle the high levels of crime experienced by people with mental distress. It also shows that until now exactly the opposite attitude has prevailed – that victimisation and a lack of justice are part of living with severe mental health problems. Health professionals, the police and service users themselves accept this state of affairs all too often. Any campaign to stamp out discrimination and increase safety will need a concerted effort by all agencies and individuals.

Anna Bird is policy officer at mental health charity Mind