Domestic appliance violence is a serious problem which is often not discussed, claims a new campaign attempting to reduce it. Discontinue Violence on Domestic Appliances (DVDA) has been launched in the UK in an attempt to raise awareness of the issue.
Spokesman Geoff Thump explained, "It is surprisingly common. For example, did you know that nearly 40 per cent of men beat their TVs?"
The problem is particularly bad with ageing and partly broken appliances. They are over ten times more likely to be hit, punched or kicked. Abusers often use the excuse that they are attempting to bring the appliance back to life.
Mr Thump said that in his appliance refuge in Stansted Mountfitchet, he sees hundreds of old and unwanted devices which have been treated appallingly. The scale of the problem was enormous, he claimed, and only a nationwide advertising campaign could fix it.
In the last year, reported cases have risen by 20%, including one shocking case of a man who kept his washing machine chained to the wall.
He added that it wasn't just the TVs and fridges who suffered. At least ten thousand visits to Accident and Emergency units in the UK were from people who had injured themselves during an act of violence to a domestic appliance.
"Next time you're thinking of punching your computer for misbehaving, remember the four rules: Stop. Think. Don't. Take out your anger on something else."