Domestic Abuse
What is Domestic Abuse?
The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 provides a clear, statutory definition of domestic abuse for the first time in the UK. It defines domestic abuse as:
Behaviour of a person towards another person where they are each aged 16 or over and personally connected to each other and the behaviour is abusive.
Abusive behaviour includes abuse which is:
- Physical or sexual
- Violent or threatening
- Controlling or coercive
- Economic
- Psychological, emotional or other abuses
It does not matter whether the behaviour consists of a single incident or a course of conduct.
Economic abuse
Economic abuse means any behaviour that has a substantial adverse effect on the victim’s ability to:
- acquire, use or maintain money or other property, or
- obtain goods or services
Children living with domestic abuse
A child who sees or hears, or experiences the effects of, domestic abuse and is related to the person being abused or the perpetrator is also regarded as a victim of domestic abuse.
Whatever form it takes, domestic abuse is rarely a one-off incident, and should instead be seen as a pattern of abusive and controlling behaviour through which the abuser seeks power over their victim, often escalating over time. Domestic abuse can start and occur in a relationship at any time, including after a couple has separated. It may not only take place in the home but also in a public place.
According to the Crime Survey for England and Wales year ending March 2020:
- An estimated 5.5% of adults aged 16 to 74 years (2.3 million) experienced domestic abuse in the last year. This equates to an estimated 7.3% of female victims (1.6 million) and 3.6% of male victims (757,000).
- 4.0% of men and 8.1% of women aged 16 to 59 years had experienced domestic abuse within the last year.
- Domestic abuse accounts for over one third of all violent crime in the England and Wales.
- An average of 2 women are killed by their partner or ex-partner each week.
Coercive control is an act or pattern of acts of
- Assault
- Threats
- Humiliation
- Intimidation
- Other abuse – used to harm, punish or frighten victims
And/or a range of acts designed to make a person subordinate and/or dependant by
- Isolating them from friends and family
- Depriving them of essential needs like food, water and medication
- Regulating everyday behaviour such as where they can go, who they can see, what they can wear and when they can sleep
- Tracking their movements
- Restricting their access to money, transportation, technology, education or work
- Repeatedly belittling, degrading or humiliating someone
- Changing the goalposts so the victim can never meet the standards set by abuser
You can visit our Campaigns page for more information about coercive control.
If you think a friend or family member, or a colleague or client is experiencing domestic abuse, there are things you can do to help:
- Create a safe space where you can speak in private.
- Listen to them and acknowledge that they are in a frightening and difficult situation.
- Find out information about local support services and safely signpost them.
- Offer any practical help you are able to. This could include offering the use of your address and/or telephone number for them to receive messages or information and keeping an emergency bag containing essential items and their important documents.
- Encourage them to keep a log of abusive incidents - it may be safer for you to do it for them - and offer to inform the police or support agencies.
- As an employer, implement workplace policies to prevent domestic violence and to support employees affected by domestic violence, including referral to specialist services.
- Speak up when you hear or see attitudes or behaviours that support violence against women.
If you have been a victim of domestic abuse you can access support by contacting Victims First or find your local domestic abuse service by searching in our directory. The type of support available could include a helpline, practical or emotional support, face to face support, group work and/or counselling to help you cope with the impact of crime and build resilience.
More information on domestic abuse and ways you can get support can be found on the Reducing the Risk website.
Rights of Women has published Reporting an offence to the police: A guide to criminal/police investigations, to support victims and survivors in reporting to the police.