What is domestic abuse?

Domestic abuse is one of the most harmful crimes in our communities. It may make you feel trapped, controlled, hopeless, scared, or worried. Domestic abuse can happen to anyone. There are no barriers to this experience.

The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 defines domestic abuse as:

Behaviour of a person ‘A’ towards another person ‘B’ is domestic abuse if

•    they are personally connected to each other, and
•    the behaviour is abusive

Personally connected means through an intimate relationship. Such as a marriage, cohabiting, civil partnership, family members or ex partners etc. This definition includes those aged 18 and over.

This personal connection can be between anyone regardless of gender or sexuality. It is important to remember that men can be victims of domestic abuse too. All victims have the same rights to protection and support.

Children who live in a household with domestic abuse are also regarded as victims and not a witness.

The definition also goes on to outline what behaviours can be described as abusive. We have explored this further on our page: Types of abuse.