Domestic Abuse can affect children and young people of different ages and in different ways.

The official definition of Domestic Abuse is;

"Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over, who are intimate partners or family members.”

What does that mean?

It means that if you live in a house where the grown-ups aged 16+ are hurting or bullying another person who;

• is or was their partner

or

• is in the same family

this is domestic abuse.

Seeing or hearing Domestic Abuse can make you feel scared for your own safety or for the safety of those people that you love and care about. It can also make you feel scared of the person that is hurting or bullying the other person even though you might love and care about them.

Domestic Abuse can happen between people who are going out together, living together, have children together or are married to each other.

What if I’m aged 16 or over?

If you are in a relationship with a partner aged 16 and above, or live with somebody aged 16 and above then you could be effected by Domestic Abuse; as the victim (person the abuse happens to) or the perpetrator (person carrying out the abuse).

What does Domestic Abuse look like?

Domestic Abuse is about POWER and CONTROL but can happen in different ways;

Emotional…

• constantly putting a person down
• constantly checking where someone is
• stopping someone from seeing their friends or family
• stopping someone from having a job

Physical…

• hitting, pushing, kicking, pinching
• throwing or smashing things
• making threats to hurt someone

Sexual…

• making someone do sexual things that they don't want to do
• rape

Financial…

• not giving them any money
• checking what someone spends money on
• stopping them from working
• taking all their money from them

Just like you?

If any of the information sounds just like you then remember;

Do;

• Make yourself a safety plan
• Speak to somebody about it
• Seek help or advice
• Report it

Don’t

• Blame yourself – abuse is not your fault