Domestic Abuse

The full Government definition of domestic abuse can be viewed on the legislation.gov.uk website (opens in new window).

Domestic abuse is defined as any of the following:

• Physical abuse can include: hitting, punching, kicking, slapping, hitting with objects, pulling hair, pushing or shoving, cutting or stabbing, restraining, strangulation, choking.
• Sexual abuse can include: rape and coerced sex, forcing a victim to take part in unwanted sexual acts, refusal to practice safe sex or use contraception, threatened or actual sexual abuse of children.

• Violent, threatening behaviour, psychological, emotional or other abuse. This can leave you with little confidence to change your situation, or that you are powerless to take any action to improve your life, or the lives of your children. This can include isolating you and not allowing you to see friends or family, or go anywhere on your own, using threats – threats to kill family, children, friends, or pets, or to find you if you were ever to try and leave, putting you down – humiliating, embarrassing or undermining you in front of others.

• Economic abuse can include controlling money and bank accounts, making you tell them everything you spend, running up debts in your name, allowing you no say on how you spend your money, refusing to allow you to work.

• Discriminatory abuse is motivated by an oppressive and discriminatory attitude towards a person’s: Disability, Physical appearance, Learning disability, Mental ill health, Sensory impairment, Race, Religion, Gender/gender identity, Age, Culture, Sexual orientation, Appearance.

• Controlling or coercive behaviour underpins domestic abuse and is explained as a range of purposeful behaviours including intimidation, isolation, emotional abuse and manipulation. These behaviours are used in order to achieve power and control in an abusive relationship and reinforce the threat or reality of physical abuse.