Domestic violence is the systematic use of power and behaviours to control another person in an intimate or family setting. This can be through intimidation, threats, isolation, physical/sexual violence, verbal abuse and manipulation, psychological or economic abuse.

Domestic violence includes many behaviours:

• Physical violence can range from slaps, kicks and blows to serious physical assault or murder.
• Emotional, psychological or mental abuse, including intimidation and humiliation, are for many women the worst forms of abuse. This includes threats of violence and destruction of self confidence, being told they are unlovable, useless, stupid or a bad mother, wife or lover.
• Sexual violence where the partner uses force, threatening or intimidating behaviour to make you perform sexual acts; rape, having sex with you against your wishes; forcing you to look at pornographic material; forcing you to have sex with other people; any degrading treatment related to your sexuality.
• Isolation is a form of domestic abuse. Women who in other spheres of their lives are competent and effective may be virtually imprisoned and powerless in their own homes, cut off from family and friends. Relationships may be strictly controlled, so the woman is only permitted to meet or talk with friends or family when monitored or watched.
• Harassment and stalking can also be domestic violence, for example persistent letters, text messages or telephone calls.
• Excessive control: The abuser can appear to be charming and seductive but in private follows this with a pattern of excessive control.
• Threats of violence against children or pets are a common method of control, in order to force compliance.
• Economic or financial abuse includes total control of the family finances; withholding money for food, clothes, and household expenditure; taking the woman’s wages or benefit money and denying access to them; denying access to the bank account or cheque book and having to account for every penny spent, or even having no access at all to funds, all the shopping being done by the man and the woman being made totally financially dependent.

The Facts
The Effects of Domestic Violence
The Effects of Domestic Violence on Children