What we know:
There were 357 domestic homicides recorded by the police in England and Wales in the three-year period between year ending March 2017 and year ending March 2019. Of crimes recorded by the police:
Types of Abuse
Domestic violence takes many different forms.
The Government’s Policy to end Violence Against Women and Girls in the UK covers all types of domestic abuse including Honour Based Violence, Forced Marriage, Female Genital Mutilation, stalking and sexual violence.
For more information please see: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/strategy-to-end-violence-against-women-and-girls-2016-to-2020
Select each of the words below to find out more about these types of abuse:
Physical abuse is the most recognisable form of abuse. It can range from a slap or shove to a black eye, cut lip, or broken bone.
In the most extreme cases it can result in death.
Physical abuse doesn’t always leave visible marks or scars.
Having your hair pulled or an egg thrown at you is domestic violence too.
Many women experience domestic violence without ever being physically abused.
Emotional abuse includes constant criticism, name calling, isolation from friends and family.
Emotional abuse can turn to physical violence over time.
This includes using force or threats to make you have sex or perform sexual acts with which you are uncomfortable.
It can also include taking and distributing of sexual photographs without your consent.
Financial abuse might include things like:
- Your partner taking your money,
- Stopping you from working,
- Placing all the bills or debts in your name, or
- Monitoring how you spend money and other financial resources e.g. the telephone
The Crown Prosecution Service definition says that this is “a crime or incident, which has or may have been committed to protect or defend the honour of the family and/or community”.
Honour Based Violence is often committed with some degree of approval and/or collusion from family and/or community members. It is a collection of practices, which are used to control behaviour within families or other social groups to protect perceived cultural and religious beliefs and/or honour.
Physical violence can occur when perpetrators perceive that a relative has shamed the family and/or community by breaking their honour code.
Women are predominantly (but not exclusively) the victims of honour based violence which is used to assert male power in order to control female autonomy and sexuality.
Examples may include murder, un-explained death (suicide), fear of or actual forced marriage, controlling sexual activity, domestic abuse (including psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional abuse), child abuse, rape, kidnapping, false imprisonment, threats to kill, assault, harassment, forced abortion.
This list is not exhaustive.
Such crimes cut across all cultures, nationalities, faith groups and communities.
They transcend national and international boundaries.
A forced marriage is a marriage in which one or both spouses do not (or in the case of some adults with learning or physical disabilities, cannot) consent to the marriage and duress is involved.
Duress can include physical, psychological, financial, sexual and emotional pressure. An arranged marriage is not the same as a forced marriage.
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is any procedure that’s designed to alter or injure a girl’s (or woman’s) genital organs for non-medical reasons.
It’s sometimes known as ‘female circumcision’ or ‘female genital cutting’. It’s mostly carried out on young girls. There are no recognised physical or hygiene reasons for FGM to be carried out. FGM procedures can cause:
- severe bleeding
- infections
- problems with giving birth later in life – including the death of the baby.
Men can experience domestic violence in both hetrosexual and same sex relationships.
Campaigners claim that men are often treated as ‘second-class victims’ and that many police forces and councils do not take them seriously.
Men experiencing domestic abuse may feel ashamed about what is happening or feel like they have done something to deserve it. They might be worried that people will think they are less of a man for ‘allowing’ themselves to be abused.
Refuge places and outreach support for men experiencing domestic abuse is available, although there is less provision than for women.
For the year ending March 2020, the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) estimated that 1.6 million women and 757,000 men aged 16 to 74 years experienced domestic abuse in the last year.
Source – Crime Survey England and Wales
The signs of domestic abuse are the same for both male and female victims.
What might a person in an abusive relationship be feeling and experiencing?