Domestic abuse

Domestic abuse is a term used to describe when one person in a relationship is violent, abusive and/or tries to control to the other person. There are lots of ways someone can be abusive to a partner, some examples are:

• physical violence
• being verbally and physically aggressive
• forcing a partner to do sexual things that they don’t want, or hurting them in sexual ways
• putting a partner down, or criticising them all the time
• controlling where a partner goes, who they see and speak to, and/or how they look and dress
• isolatinga partner by stopping them from speaking to, and seeing, their friends and family
• controlling a partner’s money
• ‘coercing’ a partner: making them do things they don’t want to by threatening, or forcing them
• 'gaslighting’ a partner: or making them feel that they are remembering things that haven’t happened, they are remembering things wrong, or they don’t understand things in the right way

There are other examples of domestic abuse and some people might experience all of the above examples while others will experience some, but not others. All forms domestic abuse are wrong.

If you are a child or young person who thinks someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, or you think you might be experiencing it yourself, there are organisations that want to help you. These websites have helpful information:

• The Hideout
• Disrespect Nobody

or you can speak to someone to ask for help:

• National Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0808 2000 247
• Childline: 0800 1111

 

If you would like to speak to a social worker in your area, you can contact them via e-mail or over the phone:

Hammersmith & Fulham: [email protected] or 020 8753 6600
Kensington and Chelsea: [email protected] or 020 7361 3013
Westminster: [email protected] or 020 7641 4000

In an emergency, call 999.