What’s domestic abuse?
Domestic abuse is a single incident or pattern of controlling, threatening or violent behaviour from a family member, partner or ex-partner, aged 16 years old or over.
It can include:
Includes hitting, kicking, pushing, slapping, spitting and damaging your property.
Get in touchIncluding mind games, isolating you from others, stalking you and blaming you for their behaviour.
Get in touchIncluding making you do things you don’t want to, videoing you or sharing images against your will or without your knowledge.
Get in touchIncluding threats, humiliation and intimidation designed to make a person dependent by isolating them from support, exploiting them, depriving them of independence and regulating their everyday behaviour.
Get in touchCan include taking your money, not paying the bills, withholding money for household items, getting you into debts and not letting you work or study.
Get in touchCan include calling you names, making you feel worthless and using your children against you.
Get in touchCan include patterns of fixated and obsessive behaviour which is repeated, persistent, intrusive and causes fear of violence.
Get in touchCan include unwanted behaviour from someone else that makes you feel distressed, humiliated or threatened.
Get in touchOnline platforms are increasingly used to perpetrate domestic abuse and can include behaviours such as monitoring of social media profiles or emails, abuse over social media such as Facebook or Twitter, sharing intimate photos or videos without your consent, using GPS locators or spyware.
Get in touch
Children under 18 living with domestic abuse are victims too.
A child who sees or hears or experiences the effects of domestic abuse and is related to the person being abused or the perpetrator, is also to be regarded as a victim of domestic abuse.
Help and support
If you’re experiencing domestic abuse or have concern about one of our residents, please contact us.
If in immediate danger, please call the most appropriate emergency service on 999.
What you can expect from us
- We treat all reports of domestic abuse seriously and in a non-judgemental way
- A case handler will attempt to contact you within one working day of your report.
- We’ll provide support, even if you don’t want to involve the Police.
- We’ll keep you informed and seek your consent before we take any action. The only exception is if there is risk of serious harm to the survivor or another person.
- We can refer you to specialist organisations and help make your home secure so that you can stay safe.
- If you’re reporting domestic abuse on behalf of someone and wish for your details to remain confidential, these would not be disclosed.
Important information
Specialist agencies
- National Domestic Violence Helpline: 0808 2000 247
- You can use the Women’s Aid Domestic Abuse Directory to locate local and specialist domestic abuse support services
- Refuge Home - Refuge
- NCDV Domestic Violence & Abuse · Emergency Injunction Service (ncdv.org.uk)
- National stalking helpline National Stalking Helpline | Suzy Lamplugh Trust
- Specialist support for men Respect | Home
- Male Victims of Domestic Abuse (mankind.org.uk - Please call 01823 334244 to speak to us confidentially
- Specialist support for the LGBTQ+ community https://galop.org.uk/
- Specialist support for Black women Southall Black Sisters - Southall Black Sisters
- Support For Black Survivors Of Abuse | HERSANA. | England
- Honour Based Abuse: Karma Nirvana
- Specialist support for older people Hourglass (wearehourglass.org)
- Specialist support for deaf people Domestic Abuse Information and Service Details - SignHealth
- Digital abuse: Information and support on tech abuse | Refuge Tech Safety
- Specialist support for the perpetrators of domestic abuse: Respect | Home
- Dog fostering service for people fleeing domestic abuse: Freedom Project | Help & Support | Dogs Trust
Facts and figures
Here are some numbers that show how common domestic abuse is across the UK:
1 in 4 women
1 in 4 women will experience domestic abuse – but only about 24% of cases are reported to the Police.
62% of children
62% of children living with domestic abuse are directly harmed by the perpetrator of the abuse, in addition to the harm caused by witnessing the abuse of others.
1 in 4
1 in 4 people from the LGBTQ+ community experience domestic abuse during their lifetime.
1 in 5 children
1 in 5 children have lived with an adult perpetrating domestic abuse.
2 women a week
On everage 2 women a week are killed by domestic abuse.
30 men a year
On everage 30 men per year are killed by domestic abuse.
30 incidents
On average women will experience over 30 incidents of abuse before making a report.
1 in 6 men
On average 1 in 6 men will experience domestic abuse.
Survivor stories
‘S’ was in an abusive relationship with her partner for over 10 years.
‘’He was always very controlling, telling me what to wear, who to talk to but it didn’t start off violent. He would turn up at my workplace with flowers, always FaceTime me and buy me clothes that he said suited me. Then I got pregnant and he started to say I shouldn’t work or go out…"
"I didn’t really have any friends or family nearby so I never argued. Then when our baby was one month old, he kicked me because I said I was thinking about going back to work – from then the abuse just got worse. I thought I would never be able to leave but Southern Housing helped me to keep myself and my son safe. Now instead of looking over my shoulder all the time, I’m looking forward to the future with my son’’