Domestic Abuse

Domestic abuse is any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality. This can encompass but is not limited to the following types of abuse:

psychological
physical
sexual
financial and economic
emotional
coercive control (a pattern of intimidation, degradation, isolation and control with the use or threat of physical or sexual violence)
harassment and stalking
online or digital abuse

This definition, which is not a legal definition, includes so called 'honour’ based violence, female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage. Domestic abuse occurs across society, regardless of age, gender, race, sexuality, wealth, and geography.

Controlling behaviour is a range of acts designed to make a person subordinate and/or dependent by isolating them from sources of support, exploiting their resources and capacities for personal gain, depriving them of the means needed for independence, resistance and escape and regulating their everyday behaviour.

Coercive behaviour is an act or a pattern of acts of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation or other abuse that is used to harm, punish, or frighten their victim.

Whatever form it takes, domestic abuse is rarely a one-off incident, and should instead be seen as a pattern of abusive and controlling behaviour through which the abuser seeks power over their victim. Typically the abuse involves a pattern of abusive and controlling behaviour, which tends to get worse over time. The abuse can begin at any time, in the first year, or after many years of life together. It may begin, continue, or escalate after a couple have separated and may take place not only in the home but also in a public place.

Lets look at some statistics...

From April 2014 to March 2017, 73% of victims of domestic homicides (homicides by an ex/partner or family member) were women. This contrasts with victims of non-domestic homicides, where the majority of victims were male (88%) and 12% of victims were female (ONS, 2018).
From April 2014 to March 2017 four in five female victims of domestic homicide were killed by a partner or ex-partner (239, 82%); of which the vast majority of suspects were male (238). 45 male victims were killed by a partner or ex-partner in the same time period; 7 of the suspects in these cases were male, and 38 were female (ONS, 2018).
One study of 96 cases of domestic abuse recorded by the police found that men are significantly more likely to be repeat perpetrators and significantly more likely than women to use physical violence, threats, and harassment. In a six year tracking period the majority of recorded male perpetrators (83%) had at least two incidents of recorded abuse, with many having a lot more than two and one man having 52 repeat incidents. Whereas in cases where women were recorded as the perpetrator the majority (62%) had only one incident of abuse recorded and the highest number of repeat incidents for any female perpetrator was eight. The study also found that men’s violence tended to create a context of fear and control; which was not the case when women were perpetrators. (Hester, 2013)
Over 80% (83%) of high frequency victims (more than 10 crimes) are women. (From a study of data from the Crime Survey for England and Wales, a nationally representative household survey.) (Walby & Towers, 2018)
In the year ending March 2018 the large majority of defendants in domestic abuse-related prosecutions were men (92%), and the majority (66%) of victims were recorded as female (13% of victims were male and in 21% of prosecutions the sex of the victim was not recorded) (ONS, 2018).

What is Domestic Abuse

Statistics

LGBTQ+

Domestic Abuse in LGBTQ+

Unique aspects of LGBT domestic abuse Heterosexual and LGBT people may experience similar patterns of domestic abuse, there are however some specific issues that are unique to the experiences of LGBT people, which may include:

Threat of disclosure of sexual orientation and gender identity to family, friends, or work colleagues.
Increased isolation because of factors like lack of family support or safety nets.
Undermining someone’s sense of gender or sexual identity.
Limiting or controlling access to spaces and networks relevant to coming out and coming to terms with gender and sexual identity.
The abused may believe they ‘deserve’ the abuse because of internalised negative beliefs about themselves.
The abused may believe that no help is available due to experienced or perceived homo/bi/ transphobia of support services and criminal justice system.

With specific reference to LGBT partner abuse:

Using society’s heterosexist myths about aggression and violence abusive partners may manipulate and convince their partner that no one will believe the abuse is real.
Abusive partner may manipulate their partners into believing that abuse is a ‘normal’ part of same-sex relationships.
Abusive partners can give the idea that the violence is mutual or that the abused partner consents to the abuse.
Abusive partner may threat to call the police and claim they are the abused person.
The abusive partner may pressure their partner to minimalise abuse to protect the image of the LGBT community.
If the abused partner is living in the UK on a spousal visa, abuser might take advantage of their lack of awareness about immigration law, and threaten to deport them back to their country of origin, which might be unsafe due to e.g.: anti-gay legislation.

With specific reference to trans persons:

Withholding medication or preventing treatment needed to express victim’s gender identity (e.g. hormones, surgery).
The abuser might refuse to use correct pronouns and prevent the abused from telling other people about their trans background or identity.
The abuser might use pejorative names and ridiculing persons’ body image (body shaming).
The abuser might convince or manipulate their partner that nobody would believe them because they’re transgender.
The abuser might deny a person’s access to medical treatment or hormones or coercing them into not pursuing medical treatment.

Reference from https://www.galop.org.uk/

Clare's Law (Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme)

In 2009, Clare Wood was killed by George Appleton, a man with a known history of violence towards women. Clare's bereaved father Michael Brown's grim determination contributed towards a law that could have saved his daughter’s life. His aim was to help to prevent a repeat of what happened to Clare.

Since 2014, Clare’s Law gives any member of the public the right to ask the police if their partner may pose a risk to them. Under Clare’s Law, a member of the public can also make enquiries into the partner of a close friend or family member- this is the Right to Ask. Professionals who have concerns for a client or indeed a police officer themselves can apply under the Right to Know. The aim of this scheme is to give members of the public a formal mechanism to make enquires about an individual who they are in a relationship with or who is in a relationship with someone they know, and there is a concern that the individual may be abusive towards their partner.

If police checks show that the individual has a record of abusive offences, or there is other information to indicate the person you know is at risk, the police will consider sharing this information with the person(s) best placed to protect the potential victim. Your local police force will discuss your concerns with you and decide whether it is appropriate for you to be given more information to help protect the person who is in the relationship with the individual you are concerned about. The scheme aims to enable potential victims to make an informed choice on whether to continue the relationship, and provides help and support to assist the potential victim when making that informed choice.

Clare's Law

Sign the petition to change the law to make sentencing for domestic violence fit the crime here.

If you are in immediate danger

please call 999

If you or a friend need help call the National Domestic Violence Helpline

0808 2000 247

National LGBT+ Domestic Abuse Helpline

0800 999 5428

Birmingham & Solihull Women’s Aid Helpline

0800 800 0028

Coventry Haven Women's Aid Helpline

0800 111 4998

Scotland’s Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline
0800 027 1234

Scottish Women’s Aid
0131 226 6606

Women’s Aid Federation (Northern Ireland)
0800 917 1414

Live Fear Free helpline (Wales)
0808 80 10 800

Petition & Links