The negative impact that domestic abuse can leave on the victim and their family is beyond measure.
There is a wide held misconception that domestic abuse relates only to physical assault and violence - this is no longer the case. It is now recognised that emotional abuse, controlling, and coercive behaviour are also forms of abuse.
The legal definition by the Home Office in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 is:
“Any incident or pattern of incidents of physical or sexual abuse, violent or threatening behaviour, controlling or coercive behaviour, economic abuse, psychological, emotional or other abuse between those aged 16 and over and personally connected to each other”.
Persons are 'personally connected' if:
- They are, or have been, married to each other.
- They are, or have been, civil partners of each other.
- They have agreed to marry one another (whether or not the agreement has been terminated).
- They have entered into a civil partnership agreement (whether or not the agreement has been terminated).
- They are, or have been, in an intimate personal relationship with each other.
- They each have, or there has been a time when they each have had, a parental relationship in relation to the same child.
- They are relatives.
The act also recognises post-separation abuse through coercive and controlling behaviour. It no longer makes it a requirement for perpetrators and victims to either still be in a relationship or to still live together.
The act also recognises children as victims of domestic abuse.
This is the first time that a child who sees or hears, or experiences domestic abuse, and is related to the person being abused or the perpetrator, is also to be regarded as a victim of domestic abuse in their own right.
Controlling behaviour is a range of acts designed to make a person subordinate and/or dependent by isolating them from sources of support, exploiting their resources and capacities for personal gain, depriving them of the means needed for independence, resistance and escape and regulating their everyday behaviour.
Coercive behaviour is an act or a pattern of acts of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation or other abuse that is used to harm, punish, or frighten their victim.
The abuse can encompass, but is not limited to; psychological, physical, sexual, financial and / or emotional.
Although Domestic Abuse cuts across socio-economic groups, prevalence would appear to be greater in areas of higher deprivation.