What is Domestic Abuse?
The cross-government definition of domestic violence and abuse is:
Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are, or have been, intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality.
The abuse can encompass, but is not limited to:
- Psychological
- Physical
- Sexual
- Financial
- Emotional
The NSPCC identifies the behaviours that may constitute domestic abuse:
- sexual abuse and rape;
- punching, kicking, cutting, hitting with an object;
- withholding money or preventing someone from earning money;
- taking control over aspects of someone’s everyday life, which can include where they go and what they wear;
- not letting someone leave the house;
- reading emails, text messages or letters; or
- threatening to kill or harm them, a partner, another family member or pet.
They also highlight the fact that witnessing domestic abuse is child abuse and that children whose lives are touched it are likely to be experiencing other types of abuse too.
Source and further information: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/what-is-child-abuse/types-of-abuse/domestic-abuse/.