Domestic abuse
Domestic violence and abuse includes any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse.
Perpetrators can be intimate partners, or other family members (sometimes referred to as adult family violence).
Anyone can experience domestic abuse.
Coercive or controlling behaviour is a core part of domestic violence and can include:
- acts of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation
- harming, punishing, or frightening the person
- isolating the person from sources of support
- exploitation of resources or money
- preventing the person from escaping abuse
- regulating everyday behaviour
Domestic abuse also includes so-called 'honour' based violence, female genital mutilation and forced marriage.
The Violence Against Women and Girls page on the H&F website has information about how to access support and advice and H&F’s strategy for ending this type of abuse.
If someone is in immediate danger, you should always call 999. In non-emergencies, you can also report domestic abuse online or call the police on 101.