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What is domestic abuse?

The definition of domestic abuse can be found in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, available in the link below:

Domestic Abuse Act 2021 - legislation.gov.uk

Behaviour of a person (“A”) towards another person (“B”) is “domestic abuse” if – 
A and B are each aged 16 or over and are personally connected to each other, and the behaviour is abusive.

It does not matter whether the behaviour consists of a single incident or a course of conduct.

Children are also recognised as victims of domestic abuse under the Act:

This section applies where behaviour of a person (“A”) towards another person (“B”) is domestic abuse.
Any reference in this Act to a victim of domestic abuse includes a reference to a child who— (a) sees or hears, or experiences the effects of, the abuse, and (b) is related to A or B.

A child is related to a person for the purposes of subsection (2) if— (a) the person is a parent of, or has parental responsibility for, the child, or (b) the child and the person are relatives.

A “child” means a person under the age of 18 years.

It is worth noting that where a child is abused directly by someone personally connected to them and they are under the age of 16 (and therefore outside of the domestic abuse statutory definition), this would be considered and dealt with as child abuse.

Report a child protection concern | Gloucestershire County Council.

The definition of domestic abuse can be found in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, available in the link below:

Domestic Abuse Act 2021 - legislation.gov.uk

Behaviour of a person (“A”) towards another person (“B”) is “domestic abuse” if – 
A and B are each aged 16 or over and are personally connected to each other, and the behaviour is abusive.

It does not matter whether the behaviour consists of a single incident or a course of conduct.

Children are also recognised as victims of domestic abuse under the Act:

This section applies where behaviour of a person (“A”) towards another person (“B”) is domestic abuse.
Any reference in this Act to a victim of domestic abuse includes a reference to a child who— (a) sees or hears, or experiences the effects of, the abuse, and (b) is related to A or B.

A child is related to a person for the purposes of subsection (2) if— (a) the person is a parent of, or has parental responsibility for, the child, or (b) the child and the person are relatives.

A “child” means a person under the age of 18 years.

It is worth noting that where a child is abused directly by someone personally connected to them and they are under the age of 16 (and therefore outside of the domestic abuse statutory definition), this would be considered and dealt with as child abuse.

Report a child protection concern | Gloucestershire County Council.

For the purposes of this definition, two people are “personally connected” to each other when any of the following applies:

  • They are, or have been, married to each other;
  • They are, or have been, civil partners of each other;
  • They have agreed to marry one another (whether or not the agreement has been terminated);
  • They have entered into a civil partnership agreement (whether or not the agreement has been terminated);
  • They are, or have been, in an intimate personal relationship with each other;
  • They each have, or there has been a time when they each have had, a parental relationship in relation to the same child;
  • They are relatives (this includes the step/parent, step/child, grandparent/child, sibling, etc.).

For the purposes of this definition, two people are “personally connected” to each other when any of the following applies:

  • They are, or have been, married to each other;
  • They are, or have been, civil partners of each other;
  • They have agreed to marry one another (whether or not the agreement has been terminated);
  • They have entered into a civil partnership agreement (whether or not the agreement has been terminated);
  • They are, or have been, in an intimate personal relationship with each other;
  • They each have, or there has been a time when they each have had, a parental relationship in relation to the same child;
  • They are relatives (this includes the step/parent, step/child, grandparent/child, sibling, etc.).

A person has a parental relationship in relation to a child if:

  • The person in a parent of the child.
  • The person has parental responsibility for the child. 

A person has a parental relationship in relation to a child if:

  • The person in a parent of the child.
  • The person has parental responsibility for the child. 

Domestic abuse can happen to anyone, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Domestic abuse can be committed by current partners, ex-partners or family members.

Understanding types of abuse

Behaviour is “abusive” if it consists of any of the following (please note the examples provided are not exhaustive). 

  • Spitting
  • Grabbing
  • Pushing
  • Pinching
  • Slapping
  • Punching 
  • Hair pulling/cutting
  • Urinating on you
  • Burning
  • Branding
  • Choking/strangulation 
  • Attempts to drown
  • False imprisonment 
  • Forced use of drugs
  • Forced use of alcohol
  • Spitting
  • Grabbing
  • Pushing
  • Pinching
  • Slapping
  • Punching 
  • Hair pulling/cutting
  • Urinating on you
  • Burning
  • Branding
  • Choking/strangulation 
  • Attempts to drown
  • False imprisonment 
  • Forced use of drugs
  • Forced use of alcohol
  • Rape
  • Filming sex without consent
  • Withholding sex
  • Being forced to watch porn
  • Penetration with objects without your consent 
  • Bestiality
  • Being passed to others for sex without your consent
  • Rape
  • Filming sex without consent
  • Withholding sex
  • Being forced to watch porn
  • Penetration with objects without your consent 
  • Bestiality
  • Being passed to others for sex without your consent
  • Threats to harm (either the victim or someone/thing close to them such as a child or a pet)
  • Making angry gestures 
  • Threats involving the use of weapons
  • Threatening to end the life of the victim
  • Threatening to end the life of the perpetrator 
  • Throwing objects
  • Intentionally causing injury to another person 
  • Sending threatening messages 
  • Utilising social media to make threats 
  • Non-fatal strangulation and suffocation 
  • Threats to harm (either the victim or someone/thing close to them such as a child or a pet)
  • Making angry gestures 
  • Threats involving the use of weapons
  • Threatening to end the life of the victim
  • Threatening to end the life of the perpetrator 
  • Throwing objects
  • Intentionally causing injury to another person 
  • Sending threatening messages 
  • Utilising social media to make threats 
  • Non-fatal strangulation and suffocation 
  • Not allowing you to leave your property
  • Telling you what to wear
  • Preventing you from going to work
  • Controlling your finances
  • Putting you down (name calling etc.)
  • Threats
  • Not allowing you to leave your property
  • Telling you what to wear
  • Preventing you from going to work
  • Controlling your finances
  • Putting you down (name calling etc.)
  • Threats
  • Taking your money
  • Bribing you
  • Preventing you from earning money
  • Forcing you to work more than you want to
  • Forcing you to steal
  • Preventing access to goods and services
  • Refusal to contribute to bills (including mortgage)
  • Refusing to sell a jointly owned property following separation
  • Taking your money
  • Bribing you
  • Preventing you from earning money
  • Forcing you to work more than you want to
  • Forcing you to steal
  • Preventing access to goods and services
  • Refusal to contribute to bills (including mortgage)
  • Refusing to sell a jointly owned property following separation
  • Threats of suicide to make you feel guilty
  • Name calling
  • Putting you down
  • Making you feel useless and worthless
  • Blackmail
  • Forced marriage
  • Threats of suicide to make you feel guilty
  • Name calling
  • Putting you down
  • Making you feel useless and worthless
  • Blackmail
  • Forced marriage

Recognising domestic abuse in your relationship

Although every situation is unique, there are common factors that link the experience of an abusive relationship with your partner, someone you’re related to etc.:

•    Do you change your behaviour because you are frightened of their reaction?
•    Are they jealous or possessive?
•    Do you feel like you’re walking on eggshells?
•    Are you being stopped from seeing your family and friends?
•    Do you feel controlled, or isolated?
•    Do you feel that something isn’t quite right in your relationship?

Stalking

Stalking is defined as a pattern of unwanted, fixated and obsessive behaviour which is intrusive and causes fear of violence or serious alarm or distress. Examples include:

  • Following a person as they go about their daily tasks
  • Waiting for a person outside their house
  • Attending a person’s place of work uninvited
  • Attempting access to a person’s home, workplace or vehicle
  • Repeated, unwanted calls, texts, emails or DMs after you’ve asked them to stop
  • Using trackers to location services to keep tabs on you
  • Repeated contact on social media including using fake identities
  • Showing up at your destination
  • Making threats, either directly or indirectly
  • Making threats to your family, friends, co-workers or pets

Stalking can occur in a domestic abuse and non-domestic abuse context.  If you are experiencing any of these behaviours in your relationship, please follow the link below to our support pages.

Getting Help Now | Gloucestershire County Council

Consultation Network

If you have experienced any of the domestic abuse or stalking behaviours in the past, or are experiencing them currently, and wish to use your experience to inform policy, strategy and delivery locally, please visit the Consultation Area to find further information about our Consultation Network. 

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