What is domestic abuse?

Domestic abuse is a complex problem that requires a range of complex responses. It is hard to address, because other adults rarely witness the abuse and the victim is likely to have family, financial and emotional links with the perpetrator.

Most domestic abuse occurs in what should be a safe and supportive relationship and often in the presence of children. This is an extreme violation of trust and causes immeasurable pain and suffering to victims and their children.

Remember, domestic abuse is a crime.

We use the term domestic abuse and not domestic violence because this encompasses all forms of abuse and is not restricted to physical assaults.

Domestic abuse is a pattern of behaviour characterised by control and misuse of power and includes any violent or abusive behaviour by a partner, ex partner or close family member.

This abuse can take many forms:

• Physical violence, including assaults
• Sexual violence including forcing someone to do something against their will
• Emotional or mental abuse
• Threats, intimidation and bullying
• Controlling behaviour and being isolated from family and friends

Domestic abuse - the facts

Here are just some of the facts associated with domestic abuse nationally:

• Only two per cent of domestic abuse is reported
• 98 per cent of domestic abuse occurs against women
• 50 per cent of all rape is carried out by husbands or male partners
• 50 per cent of all murders are committed against women by male partners
• 33 per cent of all suicide attempts by women are linked to their experience of abuse
• Women endure an average of 35 violent assaults before reporting their partner to the police
• On average a woman will suffer domestic abuse for seven years before leaving home
• 36 men a year die from domestic abuse
• One in four women will experience domestic abuse at some point in their lives
• More women experience domestic abuse than get divorced
• Only one in seven rapes are reported to the police
• Two women are killed every week by a current or former partner
• Around 3,000 forced marriages take place each year
• 66,000 women in the UK have been subjected to genital mutilation
• Each year, domestic abuse costs society more than £40bn
• At least 750,000 children a year witness domestic abuse
• Children are present or in the next room in 90% of domestic abuse incidents

Who is affected by domestic abuse?

Domestic abuse affects women, men and children in all sections of society. It is hugely under reported, widespread and has no boundaries, affecting anyone regardless of age, sex, culture, gender or lifestyle. It can also be intergenerational, for example between parent and child, where the child is the abuser.

The impact on a victim can be profound and far-reaching resulting in risk to life and limb and even death. It can also lead to serious mental health issues as well as stress and homelessness.

Domestic abuse is strongly linked to child abuse with the existence of one form of abuse being an indicator of the other. Children living with domestic abuse suffer significant stress, which can be displayed in a number of ways including, bed wetting, poor health, loss of concentration, and poor communication skills.

Children are sometimes used as a tool to coerce partners into reconciliation or in participating in the abuse. The long-term affects are profound leading some children to become the next generation of perpetrators and victims.

Who are the abusers?

Abusers can be men, women and in some cases children. Statistically however domestic abuse disproportionately affects women with in excess of 90 per cent of cases being carried out by men.

Techniques used by abusers can be subtle and include violence and coercion as a means to exercise power and control over the victim. Much of the abuse takes place in private, behind closed doors, and often others, including professionals, regard the abuser as a model person even when confronted with evidence to the contrary.

Abusers will attempt to justify their behaviour as being caused by stress, substance misuse, low self-esteem, unemployment, over work or insecurity, however the real reason is the desire to exercise power and control.

Documents

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	Domestic Abuse Strategy - Domestic Abuse Strategy for 2007 to 2009. File format Adobe Acrobat (pdf) - 1.6MB
	Local Area Agreement target performance - Local Area Agreement target for domestic violence incident reduction, showing performance between May and July 2008. File format Adobe Acrobat (pdf) - 30.9KB

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