What Is Domestic Abuse?

Within this DSVA Strategy, domestic abuse is defined as: threatening, controlling, coercive behaviour, violence or abuse (psychological, virtual, physical, verbal, sexual, financial or emotional) inflicted on anyone (irrespective of age, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation or any form of disability) by a current or former intimate partner or family member.

It is important to stress that domestic abuse can take place across many different relationships and locations.

Intimate partner abuse

• Domestic abuse most commonly takes place in intimate partner relationships, including same sex relationships.
• This includes those in a current, or previous relationship (which does not have to be sexual) or marriage regardless of whether they are living together.
• Intimate partner abuse accounted for 62% of domestic abuse in 2022/23.
• Pregnancy can also be a trigger for domestic abuse, and existing abuse may get worse during pregnancy or after giving birth.
• Abuse often continues or intensifies when a relationship has ended, which can be a dangerous time for a victim and when the risk of domestic homicide is highest.
• In 2022/23 just over 60% of intimate partner abuse related to former partners; almost 40% for current partners.
• Post-separation abuse, including stalking, harassment and controlling and coercive behaviour often continues and causes ongoing harm.
• The abuser may also attempt to use the court process, including family court, to carry out further abuse

Domestic abuse can take many forms

It is a traumatic experience, which for some can be life changing as well as life limiting. It can include, but is not limited to:

• controlling or coercive behaviour, which may make a person dependent on the individual abusing them by isolating them, exploiting them, and/or regulating their everyday behaviour;
• psychological/emotional abuse, that can include verbal abuse (yelling, swearing and insults), gaslighting (making the victim doubt themselves by manipulating the truth), put downs, publicly embarrassing them or blaming them for everything;
• physical abuse (including violent – physical and sexual – or threatening behaviour) and/or indirect physically harmful behaviour. This may include hitting, kicking, slapping, choking, threatening with a weapon or physical assault;
• sexual abuse, when a person is forced (without consent) to participate in unwanted, unsafe or degrading sexual activity. It does not matter that there may previously have been consensual sex. Sexual abuse can also occur online, for example, through grooming and sharing of sexual images;
• economic and financial abuse, where one person deprives their partner or family member of financial resources or ability to make money, which could include restricting access to food, transport and clothes. This creates financial dependency and control, preventing them from leaving the relationship. This is particularly important in the context of the cost of living crisis where many people are facing greater financial difficulties than ever before and may be more vulnerable to this type of abuse;
• online and technological abuse, where technology, social media or other online means are used to control or coerce victims; or
• abusive behaviour (which may encapsulate the above): – making the victim dependent on the individual abusing them; – isolating them from friends, family members or social interaction or support; – controlling, regulating or monitoring their day-to-day activities; – depriving or restricting their freedom of action; or – making them feel frightened, humiliated, degraded, punished or intimidated.

Children are victims of domestic abuse

Children (under the age of 18) as victims of domestic abuse:

• Children’s experiences of domestic abuse are distinct to them but also are often connected to the abuse of their parent or carer.
• Domestic abuse is recognised as an Adverse Childhood Experience.
• A child may also be used to abuse someone else.
• The Domestic Abuse and Civil Proceedings Act (NI) 2021 also includes two child aggravators, where the offence is aggravated by virtue of the involvement of a young person. The first aggravator applies to the domestic abuse offence where the victim is under 18. The second aggravator applies where: – a child saw, heard or was present during an incident of abuse; – a child is used to abuse another person; – abusive behaviour is (or threatened to be) directed at a child; or – a reasonable person would consider that the behaviour would be likely to adversely affect the child enabling the sentencing to be increased up to the maximum available. The child does not need to be aware of the abusive behaviour and it does not need to cause them harm.
• The Act also makes provision that a child cruelty offence will apply in relation to non-physical ill-treatment of a child aged under 16.
• With the right support, children and young people can recover and go on to enjoy happy and healthy childhoods.

Young person relationship abuse

• Young people can experience domestic abuse in relationships, regardless of whether they are living together or how long they may have been together.
• This abuse need not involve contact.
• Normalisation of this abuse can carry into adult life