What is domestic abuse?

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Domestic abuse is when someone close to you (usually your spouse, partner, ex-spouse, or ex-partner) behaves towards you in a way that causes physical, mental, or emotional damage. It need not necessarily be physical violence - domestic abuse can include psychological, sexual, or financial abuse.

The facts

Domestic abuse accounts for almost a quarter of all violent crime, and around one in four women has experienced domestic abuse at some point in their life. Domestic abuse usually affects women, but many men are abused by their partners as well.

What is meant by domestic violence?

Domestic violence includes any incident of threatening behaviour. The abuse can be psychological, physical, social, financial, or emotional - if the actions are between two people who have been in an intimate relationship, regardless of their gender.

Physical abuse

Physical attacks are the most obvious sign of domestic violence. They don't need to leave visible marks to be damaging. Physically abusive acts can include:

slapping and punching
hair pulling
scalding or burning
strangling
throwing and breaking things
the use of weapons such as knives.

Mental/emotional abuse

Mentally abusive acts attack your personality and emotional well-being rather than your body. Mental abuse is not as obvious as physical abuse, but it can be just as harmful. It can include:

humiliation
constant criticism
verbal abuse and name calling
imposition of unreasonable rules and ultimatums
enforced isolation from friends and family
threats against you or others you are close to (eg your children or pets)
destruction of belongings
excessive jealousy and possessiveness
control over what you wear and how you look.

Sexual abuse

Sexual abuse can include:

rape
forced participation in sexual acts you're uncomfortable with.

Financial abuse

Financial abuse is where one partner deprives the other of their financial independence. For example, where one partner is the wage earner in a relationship, and the other looks after the children, the wage-earning partner does not give the carer enough money to meet everyone's needs.