Why social media is critical for the success of Violence against Women and Girls strategies

With the Home Office’s long awaited release of the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy, the spotlight has been firmly placed on the importance of rebuilding public trust. And, one of the best ways to do this is via social media.

We know that many forces have embraced social media as a vital comms channel, however a strategic gap remains. Few have fully integrated it as a primary contact and reporting channel, something which is crucial when it comes to meeting the “Trust and Confidence” pillar of the new strategy. Forces must stop treating digital engagement as an optional extra or additional demand, and start treating it as a gateway to rebuilding and gaining trust with the public and victims. 

We know a core part of building trust is accessibility and ensuring that the public can talk to the police on whichever channel they choose. Digital desks provide this opportunity time and time again. For many victims, the traditional 999 or 101 channels can be a barrier, so providing 24/7 access to digital contact isn’t just a convenience, it’s a safeguarding necessity.

By offering a permanent, always-open digital door, forces can provide a sense of security to those who feel most vulnerable. It transforms the force’s relationship with the public by adding greater assurance and security.  

The 2024-2027 VAWG National Framework for Delivery emphasises victim-centered, suspect-focused investigations. For a victim of stalking or coercive control, traditional reporting methods can be the most visible and therefore the most dangerous.

A phone call to 101 can be overheard. But a social media platform offers a survivor a “digital exit” that is discrete, silent, and safer.

This is also a genuine opportunity for forces to humanise their response. When a victim reaches out digitally and receives a timely, empathetic, and professional response, the “trust gap” begins to close. It’s an opportunity to engage with the public on their terms, proving that policing is modern, responsive, and is actually hearing what their communities have to say.

The VAWG strategy specifically targets misogyny and online harassment. When these behaviours are visible in your force’s comment sections or tagged mentions, they aren’t just ‘noise’, they are early warning signs.

Utilising a dedicated Digital Desk means police forces are doing much more than just replying to social media notifications. By having trained control room staff monitor these channels, they treat digital platforms as serious operational reporting lines. This ensures that every message is reviewed by an expert, guaranteeing that no online cry for help gets lost in the noise.

The real game-changer here is the application of THRIVE+ principles. Because the staff at the Digital Desk are operationally trained, they proactively assess every inbound message for Threat, Harm, Risk, and Vulnerability, just as they would with a 999 call. This allows them to spot subtle signs of danger that non-police staff might miss.

In contrast, relying on communications professionals to handle these incoming reports creates unnecessary risk. While comms teams are great at public engagement, they aren’t always trained to assess safety risks or spot immediate danger. 

The VAWG strategy demands that we “prepare policing to effectively respond to and reduce VAWG.” This requires a big shift in how the Control Room operates, ensuring that reports taken via social media are handled with the same urgency as any other channel, which again builds accessibility and trust with the public and survivors of violence. 

By implementing a digital desk a force is that step closer to bridging the gap with their public and slowly rebuilding trust. It is an opportunity that cannot be missed and the VAWG strategy emphasises just how crucial an element this is. 

Orlo customer, Northumbria Police recently won an Orlo Spotlight Award for the work they have done on their Digital Desk. 

They wanted to allow the public to report crimes on any platform they chose, but with over 70 social media accounts, the landscape was confusing. To solve this, they pioneered a “Digital Desk” by merging their Comms team with their operational Customer Service Centre. This streamlined their presence down to just a handful of verified accounts, ensuring the public knew exactly where to go for help while eliminating the need to “channel shift” (for example, forcing a user on Facebook to call 101 instead).

The operational impact of this shift has been massive. Northumbria is currently the only force in the country to monitor its social channels 24/7, ensuring that no contact goes unnoticed regardless of the time. 

This dedicated team triages an impressive 1,000 messages per day, handling reports of crimes and incidents from start to finish entirely within the digital space. By treating social media as a genuine front-line service, they are delivering a faster, more consistent response to the community.

Most importantly, this approach is directly resulting in safer streets. The force realized that when they forced people to switch channels, many simply gave up and never reported the crime. Now, by offering immediate help at the first point of contact, the Digital Desk logs an average of 55 incidents a month that might otherwise have never reached the police. 

This is a brilliant example that proves that when you make it easier to talk to the police, the public is more willing to share vital information, and trust can build.