Domestic Abuse Awareness and Support

If you are in an emergency situation, please call 999

Domestic Abuse is against the law. You have every right to call the police and report your abuser’s behaviour. If you are in an emergency situation, call 999. You can also use ‘civil’ laws to protect yourself and your children. This can include getting a civil order that stops your abuser from contacting you. This does not require police involvement. However, if your abuser breaks a civil order it may be a criminal offence and they could be arrested.

The types of crimes a perpetrator may commit include assault, coercive control, sexual offences, harassment or stalking. Domestic abuse is when someone close to you, often your spouse or partner, causes you physical, sexual, social, mental, financial or emotional harm. The violence and abuse can be actual or threatened and can happen once every so often or on a regular basis.

It is not necessary for there to be physical violence for domestic abuse to be serious.

Help is available for you if you are experiencing any of these issues. Your partner may well tell you that nobody will believe you or help you. That is not the case. You are not alone.

If you are experiencing domestic abuse, your first priority will be the safety of yourself and your children. Speaking to a domestic abuse support service is often the first step to making safety plans for you and your children. You can contact The National Domestic Abuse Helpline to discuss what steps you might take to plan for your safety and that of your children.

You could also contact the charity Rights of Women. This charity is dedicated to providing frontline legal advice to women experiencing all forms of violence against women and girls in England and Wales.

You should tell your family solicitor if the other parent has threatened you, hurt you physically or sexually, controlled or isolated you or has behaved in an emotionally abusive way towards you. It may be that trying to protect yourself and your children may involve the police or getting the protection of the legal system.

Specialist support for men experiencing domestic abuse Domestic abuse against men is often overlooked. Men can experience domestic abuse too, and nobody should have to live in fear of their partner.

If you are in a heterosexual relationship, it is easy to feel embarrassed about telling someone you are being abused by a female partner. Society can place a lot of pressure on men to act a certain way. Many men worry nobody will believe them and have often already had people not believe them or even blame them for the abuse.

If you are a man in a same-sex relationship, you can face the extra challenge of having to come out to services and explain how a man can abuse another man.

There are specialist services to support men including a Men’s Advice Line, run by Respect available through their website: Respect Men’s Advice Line - The Helpline for male victims of domestic abuse