What is domestic abuse?
Domestic abuse is not your fault
Domestic abuse is a pattern of behaviour from a partner or a family member that is designed to humiliate, degrade or make the other person afraid.
It’s dependent on a power dynamic. Domestic abuse doesn’t only refer to physical or sexual violence – it can be emotional, economic, digital and involve multiple aspects of the person’s life.
Domestic abuse is not your fault, and you can get help at any point.
Domestic abuse is a crime, and you can read more about it here:
You may be experiencing domestic abuse if your partner or someone personally connected to you
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Repeatedly puts you down.
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Blames you for the abusive behaviour and arguments.
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Downplays the abuse.
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Isolates you from your family and friends.
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Stops you from going to work.
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Destroys your property.
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Physically assaults you.
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Sexually assaults you.
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Threatens you.
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And many other behaviours designed to control you.
TYPES OF DOMESTIC ABUSE
Physical abuse means hurting or injuring someone deliberately to exert control.
Emotional abuse towards a partner or someone personally connected to you is extremely damaging.
Coercive control is defined as a series of acts designed to take control of another person who is personally connected to you such as a partner, family member, ex-partner, someone you live with.
Digital abuse is a form of domestic abuse in which an abuser uses technology to monitor, stalk, harass, threaten, control or impersonate another person.
Economic abuse is highly common in domestic abuse cases. In fact, 95% of domestic abuse cases involve economic abuse.
So-called honour-based abuse is usually perpetrated by the victims' families, extended families and members of their community, hoping to uphold the “honour” of the family.
Although abuse can happen at any age, older adults can be particularly vulnerable as they may have a disability, mental health condition or illness that abusers can exploit.
Stalking is a pattern of unwanted behaviour that causes the person being stalked to feel distressed and fearful.
