Find out what domestic abuse is
What is domestic abuse? Quick Exit Button
Behaviour of a person towards another person is domestic abuse if they are each aged 16 or over and are personally connected to each other and the behaviour is abusive.
It does not matter whether the abusive behaviour consists of a single incident or a course of conduct.
Behaviour is abusive if it consists of any of the following:
- physical or sexual abuse
- violent or threatening behaviour
- controlling or coercive behaviour
- economic abuse, where any behaviour that has a substantial adverse effect on a person's ability to:
- acquire, use, or maintain money or other property, or
- obtain goods or services
- psychological, emotional, or other abuse
Behaviour may be still be towards a person despite the fact that it consists of conduct directed at another person (for example, that person's child).
What does it mean to be personally connected?
Two people are personally connected to each other if any of the following applies:
- they are, or have been, married to each other
- they are, or have been, civil partners of each other
- they have agreed to marry one another (whether or not the agreement has been terminated)
- they have entered into a civil partnership agreement (whether or not the agreement has been terminated)
- they are, or have been, in an intimate personal relationship with each other
- they each have, or there has been a time when they each have had, a parental relationship in relation to the same child. A person has a parental relationship in relation to a child if:
- the person is a parent of the child, or
- the person has parental responsibility for the child
- they are relatives
Children can also experience domestic abuse
This happens when there is a child or children who:
- sees or hears, or experiences the effect of, the abuse, and
- is related to either of those people