To understand what domestic violence and abuse is we must first understand the definition of it.
Domestic violence and abuse: an incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening, degrading and violent behaviour, including sexual violence, in the majority of cases by a partner or ex-partner, but also by a family member or carer. It is very common. In the vast majority of cases it is experienced by women and is perpetrated by men.
Please know that domestic abuse is never your fault and is never justified.
Domestic abuse can include, but is not limited to, the following:
- Coercive control (a pattern of intimidation, degradation, isolation and control with the use or threat of physical or sexual violence)
- Psychological and/or emotional abuse
- Physical or sexual abuse
- Financial or economic abuse
- Harassment and stalking
- Online or digital abuse
These might look like the following:
- They have tried to stop you seeing your family or friends
- Your partner often checks up on where you are, or follows you
- They accuse you of flirting or cheating, without reason
- Your partner often puts you down, criticises or insults you
- They make you feel afraid
- Your partner has forced you to do something you didn’t want to do
- They have hurt you or your children
- Your partner has withheld money from you or put you in debt
- They have tried to stop you taking your medicine, or seeing a doctor
- Your partner has threatened to take away your children if you leave
- They have forced or pressured you to have sex with them or other people
- Your partner has made you take part in sexual activity that you weren’t comfortable with
- They force you to take drugs or alcohol
- Your partner blames their behaviour on drugs, alcohol, depression or their childhood
