Information » Family & Relationships » What to do if something goes wrong » Domestic violence
- Domestic violence is a pattern of aggressive and uncontrollable behaviour between adults in an intimate relationship
- Sometimes the children can also become involved in the domestic violence or witness outbursts of the behaviour
- Both men and women suffer from domestic violence but it affects 1 in 4 women every year
Types of domestic violence
- Physical – punching, hitting, pushing, kicking, pulling hair etcâ¦
- Emotional – threats, not letting a partner see their friends or leave the house, controlling their lives, being put down and criticised constantly, name-calling or other intimidation
- Sexual – forcing sex or a sexual act. This is still rape even if you are married
- Financial – withholding a partner´s money or taking their money and not returning it
- Remember, every form of domestic violence is a crime and it is your right to be protected from it so seek help immediately
Getting help
- Being a victim in your own home or to the one you love is traumatic. Many men and women feel ashamed, belittled and lonely, but violent men or women won´t change without help. If your life and the lives of any children are at risk, you must take actionbefore it´s too late
- Leaving can be very difficult so involve others. Tell your parents, a trusted friend or even the police what you are planning to do and get support. Have someone with you for protection when you leave
- You will also need to find a safe place to go. You could go to your parents or a friend´s, but if you are worried your partner will find you, there are organisations that can provide secret and secure accommodation for you and any children you have, like women´s refuges
- There are plenty of organisations dedicated to supporting victims of domestic violence so use the links below for step-by-step advice and support before and after you leave
- If you are a witness to domestic violence, maybe involving your parents or guardians, it can be very upsetting. If you are in a house where domestic violence is happening, talk to someone. It could be a friend or a family member who doesn´t live with you but don´t go through it alone. If you don´t want to talk to someone you know, there are help lines which can offer you advice on how to help stop the violence and get help for the person being abused
- If you or someone you know are in immediate danger from domestic violence, please call the police on 999 or ring your local police station and ask for the domestic violence support unit
