What is domestic abuse?
Everyone deserves to be in a safe and healthy relationship.
If you don’t feel secure, comfortable and loved in your relationship, you may be in an unhealthy relationship. You may also be experiencing violence and abuse.
Domestic (relationship) abuse can take many forms, including controlling, coercive, threatening, degrading and violent behaviour, including sexual violence, in the majority of cases by a partner or ex-partner, but also by a family member or carer.
Anyone can experience domestic abuse regardless of race, ethnic or religious group, sexuality, class, or disability, but some women who experience other forms of oppression and discrimination may face further barriers to disclosing abuse and finding help.
Signs of an unhealthy relationship include:
- experiencing controlling or possessive behaviour
- being ridiculed or criticised
- manipulation
- intimidation
- being threatened
- your partner is isolating you from other friends or family or limiting who you see
- experiencing physical or sexual violence.
Sexual violence in a relationship
Being with someone does not determine your consent to a sexual act. With any sexual encounter, there should be freedom and capacity to choose to participate, which might not be possible if someone is under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Consent is to be given and can be taken back at any time.
Domestic abuse can include, but is not limited to, the following:
- coercive control (a pattern of intimidation, degradation, isolation and control with the use or threat of physical or sexual violence)
- psychological and/or emotional abuse
- physical or sexual abuse
- financial or economic abuse
- harassment and stalking
- online or digital abuse