Domestic abuse or violence can happen to anyone. It often happens more than once and tends to get worse over time.
Support is available for those who are experiencing abuse, not just to help in a crisis, but also to help with the long term impact on emotional health.
What is domestic abuse?
Domestic abuse is physical, sexual, psychological or financial abuse that takes place in an intimate or family relationship. Abuse is not just physical, it is often part of a pattern of bullying and controlling behaviour.
Impact on emotional health
People experiencing domestic abuse often suffer long term impacts on their emotional wellbeing and self esteem. There is a strong link between domestic abuse and mental distress, which can include depression, post traumatic stress, self-harm and substance misuse. Other pressures such as feeling isolated, a lack of employment or access to education and insecure immigration status can also affect mental health and wellbeing.
What are the signs of domestic abuse?
verbal abuse: shouting, mocking,accusing or name calling.
Pressure tactics: threatening to withhold money,disconnecting the phone,lying to your friends and family.
Breaking trust: lying, being jealous,having other relationships, breaking promises,taking money without asking.
Isolation: monitoring or blocking your phone calls, telling you where you can and cannot go, preventing you from seeing friends and relatives.
Harassment: following you, checking up on you, opening your mail, repeatedly checking to see who has phoned you,embarrassing you in public.
Threats: using physical size to intimidate, destroying your possessions, breaking things,threatening to kill or harm you and the children.
Sexual abuse and violence: using force, making you perform sexual acts or have sex when you don't want to.
Physical violence: punching, slapping, biting, kicking, pulling hair, pushing, burning, strangling.
Denial: saying the abuse doesn't happen, blaming you, begging for forgiveness, saying it will never happen again.