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answers:
What is
Domestic Abuse?
© The Empowerment Network UK
What is Domestic Abuse?
Domestic abuse is a serious social problem. It’s
shockingly common across communities, and it has
wide reaching consequences.
Put simply, domestic abuse is the use of
intimidation to control a person within an
intimate relationship.
It has been linked to a variety of other issues, like
drug and alcohol abuse, child abuse, anti­social
behaviour and financial difficulty.
Domestic abuse touches individuals of all ages,
cultures, genders, economic status and religious
backgrounds.
Up next: types of domestic abuse
© The Empowerment Network UK
Types of domestic abuse
There are many ways in which an abusive person can intimidate
their partner. Here are some of the most common.
Physical abuse
This is what usually comes to mind when thinking of domestic
abuse: the image of a battered and bruised victim. Physical abuse
is any form of physical violence: punching, biting, kicking and
burning. Nationally two women every week are killed by a partner or
former partner as a result of physical abuse.
Psychological and emotional abuse
Emotional and psychological abuse, or ‘coercive control’, are some
of the most overlooked types of abuse. Their purpose is to chip
away at the confidence and independence of victims so they will be
easier to manipulate. It includes yelling, verbal insults, shaming,
intimidation, isolation, threats of violence and strict control of their
partner's day­to­day activities.
The Serious Crime Act (2015) explicitly criminalises patterns of
controlling behaviour against an intimate partner.
Up next: more types of abuse
© The Empowerment Network UK
Types of abuse - continued
Sexual abuse
Rape and sexual abuse are common in abusive relationships.
Sexual abuse is not just forced sexual contact, but also contact
that demeans or humiliates the partner.
Financial abuse
Financial abuse involves withholding money, forcing the victim to
hand over any earned money or welfare benefits, and making
someone unreasonably account for every penny. Financial
abuse not only includes being kept short of money but also
stopping the victim from getting a job or being independent.
Honour­based violence
Honour­based violence (HBV) is a type of male­to­female abuse.
It happens when male relatives punish a woman who has, in
their eyes, shamed the family. This could be due to pregnancy
outside of marriage, interfaith relationships, seeking divorce,
infidelity, or inappropriate dress.
Find out more about spotting domestic abuse abuse in
the next TENUK Answers guide.
© The Empowerment Network UK