What is Domestic Abuse

Domestic Abuse can affect anyone. It knows no boundaries with regard to age, gender, race, religion, culture, sexuality, social status or geographical location.

1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men will experience domestic abuse during their lives. It will also affect children. Domestic Abuse, is a pattern of aggressive and controlling behaviour by one individual towards another within the context of an intimate relationship.

Domestic abuse comes from the abuser’s desire for power and control of another, and can take many forms including:

• Coercion & Threats –Threatening to hurt you, leave you, commit suicide, making you do illegal things and then make you drop any charges.
• Intimidation – Making you afraid by using looks, actions, gestures, displaying weapons, smashing things, abusing pets.
• Emotional Abuse – Putting you down, humiliating you, calling you names, making you feel guilty or think you’re crazy.
• Isolation – Controlling what you do, who you see, who you talk to and where and go.
• Financial – Preventing you from getting a job, making you ask for money, taking your money, denying access to family income.
• Minimising, Denying & Blaming – Making light of the abuse, shifting responsibility for the abusive behaviour, blaming it on you.
• Using Children – Making you feel guilty about the children, using visitation to harass you, threatening to take the children away.
• Physical Assaults – Punching, slapping, kicking, strangling and choking you.

(There are many more)