Support Groups and Issues - Domestic Violence

"Any incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional) between adults who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender"

If you are being physically or sexually assaulted by someone you live with, or are being threatened by them, that is domestic violence. Domestic violence is controlling behaviour and includes all kinds of physical, sexual and emotional abuse within all kinds of intimate relationships. It harms women and men. It wrecks thousands of lives.

Domestic violence is rarely a one-off event. Physical and sexual abuse tends to increase in frequency and severity over time, sometimes only ending when one person actually kills the other. Other forms of abusive or controlling behaviour may be ongoing. This chain of events needs to be broken.

A lot of people can help to break the chain. Details of the organisations working to do this are contained within the "contact" section. But individuals also have an important part to play. For people experiencing violence, the support of a trusted friend can be invaluable. Breaking the chain is a job for everyone.

Domestic violence is much more common than most people realise. Even if you are not experiencing it yourself, you may well know someone who is.

Useful Links

• www.thehideout.org.uk - domestic violence website especially for young people
• www.homeoffice.gov.uk/crime/domesticviolence/ - tackling domestic violence on every front