Domestic and Sexual Abuse
Domestic abuse can be:
- Psychological – hurting someone’s mind or feelings
- Physical – hitting or hurting someone’s body
- Sexual – forcing someone to do sexual things
- Financial – controlling someone’s money
- Emotional – making someone feel bad or scared
Domestic abuse is a crime
If you feel as though you are in danger and it is an emergency, then you can call the police on 999.
If it is not an emergency, you can still get advice from the police by calling 101.
You can also visit a police station if you wish to report something.
Domestic abuse is not always physical.
Sometimes, a person controls another person by making threats, saying mean things, or stopping them from seeing friends or family. This is also domestic abuse.
Domestic abuse often happens in private.
It can happen in any home, and people may not see it.
It is not always a partner who does the abuse.
Sometimes, it can be another family member, like a mother-in-law or a father-in-law.
Anyone over 16 years old can be affected by domestic abuse. It does not matter if they are a man or woman, or what their sexuality is.
Women are more often affected by domestic abuse. Migrant women (women who moved from another country) can be more at risk. Some migrant women depend on their partner for their visa. This can make it hard to leave the abuser.