Domestic abuse

Definition

Using technology including social networking and texting, to intimidate, stalk, harass and bully a partner. This includes verbal and emotional abuse perpetrated online

Examples

This can include behaviour such as:

• restricting friends on social media
• sending threatening, insulting, negative communications
• using social media sites to stalk
• negative posts and/or about partner
• sending and/or demanding explicit images and/or videos
• stealing and/or demanding passwords
• constant communications causing fear to be separated from phone in case of punishment
• frequently checking pictures, messages and call history. 

Definition

Physical abuse is the most recognised form of domestic abuse. This is any unwanted, intentional and violent contact with the partner’s body.
Sexual abuse is having power over a partner without their consent. This refers to any action that pressures a partner to do something sexually against their consent.

Examples

Physical abuse can include behaviour such as slapping, choking, strangulation, shoving, kicking, pinching, punching, biting, burning, beating, maiming, killing, using objects and/or weapons, pulling hair, grabbing clothing, preventing partner from leaving, forcing partner to go somewhere, refusing medical care, controlling medication. 

Sexual abuse includes any unwanted or non-consensual sexual interactions' with a person.

Definition

Behaviour that interferes with a person’s ability to maintain, acquire and use economic resources such as money, transportation and utilities. Making a person economically dependent on the abuser and limiting their ability to escape and access safety. Economic abuse is a distinct type of abuse and included specifically within the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.

Examples

This can include behaviour such as:

• preventing a person from claiming welfare benefits
• taking sole control of the family income without permission
• placing wages into their own account and denying access
• restricting/refusing access to bank accounts
• damaging a person’s property
• controlling and/or not allowing access to food/utilities/transportation/mobile phone
• interfering with a person’s education/employment/training
• causing partner to be fired from work due to harassing them, their employer and/or colleagues
• damaging partner’s credit score. 

Definition

Emotional and psychological abuse is as harmful as physical violence and is defined as threats, intimidation, isolation, stalking, insults, humiliation. 

Examples

This can include behaviour such as:

• blaming partner’s actions for their abusive behaviour
• damaging partner’s property when angry
• threats to harm partner, pet and/or loved ones
• extreme jealousy
• isolation from family, friends, colleagues, acquaintances and/or neighbours
• threatening to commit suicide if partner leaves
• intentionally embarrassing partner in public
• name calling and putting partner down
• making partner feel immature and/or guilty if they don’t consent to sexual contact
• screaming/yelling.

Definition

Behaviour that causes someone in a current or former intimate or family relationship to fear violence will be used against them or causes them distress, serious alarm and/or substantially affects their daily life and activities. A pattern (more than once) of humiliation, intimidation, threats, assault or other abuse used to frighten harm or punish.

Examples

This can include behaviour such as:

• A pattern of controlling behaviour
• isolating a person from their family and friends
• taking control of their finances, mobile phone; social media; what they wear; who they see and speak with
• tracking their movements
• destroying possessions
• deprivation of food
• deprivation of personal hygiene.