MOST people in Britain are unsure how to help victims of domestic abuse, new figures reveal.

A survey conducted by charity Citizens Advice found only one in six people, 16 per cent of the 2,063 respondents would feel comfortable sharing their concerns that someone was in an abusive relationship.

The remaining 84 per cent said they may feel ill at ease about telling somebody about domestic violence incidents but one in three (31 per cent) of adults polled knew somebody who had experienced abuse.

Olwen Kelly, director of Swindon Women’s Aid, said part of the reason was the fear of exacerbating a traumatic situation.

“It’s not surprising that so few people feel uncomfortable telling somebody that a friend or family member is being abused,” she said.

“There’s still this perception that it’s something that happens between people who are intimately connected and that it’s not that serious when in reality it can escalate very quickly.

“If you saw someone’s house being burgled, you would call the police and you’d probably get commended for it.

"Yet if you see someone being abused there is this fear that somehow you will make things worse.”

She said often abusers can manipulate their victims and families into believing that seeking help is the wrong thing to do.

“Abusers not only manipulate their victims, they manipulate those around them. They can say if they tell anyone they’ll get the kids taken away, they’ll lose them and it will all be their fault,” she said.

“People who are concerned can say they don’t want to make things worse and they’re scared and sometimes people don’t want to turn to the police so that can make things difficult.”

Olwen said that reporting incidents to the police is not the only option for people who have concerns about someone close to them.

“I would suggest doing a Google search and we will come up instantly. People can come to us because our priority is making sure the victim and their friends and family are safe. They can call us up and know that we will keep things in confidence and do our best to help them. If they don’t want to speak to police we will respect that," Olwen said.

The survey echoed Olwen’s views and reasons for not reporting abuse included a fear of making things worse, a reluctance to speak up because they were not absolutely sure abuse was happening or not knowing how the victim would be affected.

Citizens Advice have asked for a plan to be put in place to set out steps to help domestic violence victims

The charity's chief executive, Gillian Guy, said: "A supportive ally can provide a lifeline to someone trapped in an abusive relationship.

"When someone manipulates their partner's emotions, controls their finances and even physically assaults them, victims may feel too afraid or defeated to reach out themselves.

"Friends and family are often the only ones who might suspect someone is suffering behind closed doors.

"The lives of victims are at risk whilst they remain in an abusive relationship, so those aware of domestic abuse need to know what steps to take to provide support.

"Family and friends can play a vital role in helping victims disclose abuse if they are better equipped to do so."

In the Budget announcement last month, the government announced a review of services currently available to domestic abuse victims.

Diana Barran, chief executive of SafeLives, a charity that works to tackle domestic abuse, said she was pleased with the progress being made to domestic violence services.

"Friends and family can play a crucial role in spotting abuse and are usually the first people a victim will tell about what they are suffering - but they need to know where to go for specialist help," she said.

"The proposals in this report could make a real difference to how quickly victims get help."