What is domestic abuse?
Domestic abuse can have devastating, far reaching and long-lasting consequences on victims and survivors, their families and the wider community.
We believe that no one should experience or live in fear of domestic abuse, and we take a zero tolerance approach towards it.
The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 defines domestic abuse as abusive behaviour between two people who are aged 16 or over and who are personally connected to each other.
Behaviour is defined as abusive if it includes any of the following –
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Physical or sexual abuse
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Violent or threatening behaviour
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Controlling or coercive behaviour
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Economic abuse
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Psychological, emotional or other abuse
Economic abuse means any behaviour that has a substantial adverse effect on the victim or survivors ability to:
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acquire, use or maintain money or other property, or
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obtain goods or services.
The behaviour experienced by abuse may also be intimidating or threatening. Domestic abuse occurs when a current or ex-partner or family member uses power to control a person.
It does not matter whether the behaviour consists of a single incident or a course of conduct.
Domestic abuse happens between two people, but is not limited to personal, intimate relationships between partners. The Domestic Abuse Act sets out the different relationships between two people where domestic abuse can occur:
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They are, or have been, married to each other
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They are, or have been, civil partners of each other
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They have agreed to marry one another (whether or not the agreement has been terminated)
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They have entered into a civil partnership agreement (whether or not the agreement has been terminated)
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They are, or have been, in an intimate personal relationship with each other
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They each have, or there has been a time when they each have had, a parental relationship in relation to the same child
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They are relatives
The Act also defines victims as those who have experienced domestic abuse, and includes children who have seen, heard or experienced the effects of the abusive behaviour.
If you are suffering from domestic abuse, remember:
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you are not to blame
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you are not alone
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there are specialist services that can help you