Domestic Abuse

What is Domestic Abuse?

Domestic abuse is any single incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are ‘personally connected’, regardless of their gender or sexuality.

Children who see, hear or experience the effects of the abuse and are related to either of the parties, are also now considered victims of domestic abuse in their own right since the introduction of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.

Domestic abuse can include, but is not limited to:

  • Physical or sexual abuse
  • Violent or threatening behaviour
  • Controlling or coercive behaviour
  • Economic abuse including financial abuse
  • Psychological, emotional or other abuse

Domestic abuse also includes Harassment and stalking, Online or digital abuse, and Honour-based abuse and Forced marriage  (Honour-Based Abuse Identification Tool for Professionals)

‘Personally connected’ can include people who: 

  • are married to each other
  • are civil partners of each other
  • have agreed to marry one another (whether or not the agreement has been terminated)
  • have entered into a civil partnership agreement (whether or not the agreement has been terminated)
  • are or have been in an intimate personal relationship with each other
  • have, or there has been a time when they each have had, a parental relationship in relation to the same child
  • are relatives (including half and step relatives)

Many people think that domestic abuse is about intimate partners, but it is clear that other family members, including carers (who are ‘personally connected’), are included and that much safeguarding work that occurs at home, is in fact concerned with domestic abuse.

Spotting the Signs of Domestic Abuse

Sometimes it can be difficult to think of yourself as a victim of abuse. This helpful diagram demonstrates how perpetrators use power and control over their victims (this model can be applied to both males and females).

Power and Control Model

What is Coercive Control?

Domestic abuse is not always physical abuse. Coercive control is a pattern of behaviour that aims to threaten, humiliate, intimidate, punish or frighten their victim. They may use other controlling behaviours to make a person dependent by isolating them from their family or support, depriving them of independence and going about their everyday lives.

Coercive control is a recognised criminal offence. It creates a sense of fear that impacts on all elements of a victim’s life.

Spotting the Signs of Coercive Control

  • Isolating you from friends and family
  • Making you feel that people do not care about you and that you can only depend on them
  • Depriving you of basic needs, such as food
  • Monitoring your time
  • Monitoring you via online tools / cameras
  • Taking control over aspects of your everyday life, such as where you can go, who you can see, what you can wear and when you can sleep
  • Depriving you access to support services, such as medical services
  • Repeatedly putting you down, such as saying you’re worthless
  • Humiliating, degrading or dehumanising you
  • Controlling your finances
  • Making threats or intimidating you

What is Honour Based Abuse?

Honour based abuse is a crime or incident which has been committed to protect or defend the honour of the family and/or community.

Honour based abuse can include:

  • Domestic abuse perpetrated by family members including coercion, psychological abuse and threatening behaviour
  • Forced marriage
  • Female Genital Mutilation
  • Sexual abuse/harassment
  • Preventing a person’s freedom or restricting their contact with others / isolating from others

What is Stalking?

Stalking is classed as any behaviour from another person which is persistent, unwanted and harassing; anything that causes you any kind of fear or anxiety. Some examples can include; unwanted or malicious communications, unwanted attention, watching or following someone or loitering where the person frequents, monitoring usage of someone’s internet, email or other electronic communications, damaging a person’s property. 

In the majority of stalking cases the victim will know the stalker (such as a partner or ex-partner for example), however there have been cases where the victim does not know the offender.

In some cases stalking can escalate to physical abuse. If you feel that you are a victim of stalking or harassment you should contact the Police.

What is Clare’s Law?

Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (also known as Clare’s Law)

Under the scheme an individual can ask Police to check whether a current or ex-partner that they still have contact with, has a violent or abusive past. This is the ‘right to ask’. If records show that an individual may be at risk of domestic abuse from a partner, the Police will consider disclosing the information if it is legal, proportionate and necessary to do so.‘Right to know’ enables an agency to apply for a disclosure if the agency believes that an individual is at risk of domestic violence from their partner. The Police can release information if it is lawful, necessary and proportionate to do so.

How to Make a Clare’s Law Request (Cleveland Police)

What is the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme?

The Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme, also known as Clare’s Law, was introduced in 2014 and is named after Clare Wood who was murdered in 2009 by her ex-partner who had a history of violence towards women. The scheme allows information to be shared with an individual regarding the criminal history of their partner in relation to domestic abuse and any other information deemed proportionate and necessary to enable the individual to keep themselves safe and to prevent further crime.

Who can apply?

Anybody can apply, including a family member, friend, neighbour, professional or the individual themselves.
Right to know: Police can disclose information to someone they believe may be at risk, without that individual requesting the information.
Right to ask: Allows any member of the public to request information to protect themselves or someone else they believe may be at risk.


Important: The perpetrator/abuser would not be made aware of the application or the disclosure.

How to make an application?

Right to Ask/ Right to Know
Everyone has the right to ask if their partner has a previous history of domestic abuse. This can be done by contacting your local Police force on 101 or attending your local Police station and simply asking for a Clare’s Law disclosure by providing some details about yourself and your partner. An application for a disclosure can also be made online.

If you are a family member, friend, neighbour or professional concerned about an individual you feel may be a risk of abuse from a partner, you can also make an application. However, in most cases, only the person considered to be at risk would be provided with any relevant information, you would not receive the disclosure.

You can request a Clare’s Law disclosure on behalf of someone else if you are concerned about them by contacting your local Police force on 101, attending your local Police station or online.

What happens next?

The application will be submitted to the relevant Police department who will carry out all necessary checks against the person considered to be the abuser. If there is no information to share, contact will be made with the individual to advise that this is the case – only where they have submitted the application themselves or are aware someone else has requested this on their behalf. Although there may be no information to share in relation to the person’s criminal history this does not necessarily mean that there have not been previous incidents of abuse, just that it may not have been reported to Police.

If there is information to share, a panel of professionals will decide whether the information should be disclosed, as a disclosure can only legally be made if it is necessary, proportionate and there is a pressing need to prevent further crime.

The individual will then be contacted to arrange a convenient appointment at a safe location of their choice with a plain clothed Police Officer and a specialist Independent Domestic Abuse Advocate. Any information shared is completely confidential and must not be shared with anyone else without prior permission from the Police.

If you believe there is an immediate risk of harm to yourself or another, or it is an emergency then you should contact 999.

Domestic Abuse Protection Notices and Orders (DAPOs)

Cleveland Police are piloting a new civil Domestic Abuse Protection Notice (DAPN) which will provide immediate protection following a domestic abuse incident and the new Domestic Abuse Protection Order (DAPO) will provide flexible, longer term protection for victims.  These new orders will replace the current Domestic Violence Protection Notices (DVPNs) and Domestic Violence Protection Orders (DVPOs).

DAPOs require forces to actively monitor compliance. Breaching a DAPO is a criminal offence and can result in five years imprisonment, a fine or both.

Domestic Abuse and Older Adults

This animation highlights the unique challenges that older adults face when domestic abuse occurs, to help support practitioners and families start a conversation with an older adult.

Support

  • You may choose to report to Police. Always call 999 if it’s an emergency or contact the Police on 101 if it’s not an emergency.
  • Call the 24-hour National Domestic Violence free phone helpline: 0808 2000 247
  • The National Centre for Domestic Violence outlines further National support agencies 
  • Local Domestic Abuse Support Services can be found on the TSAB Find Support in Your Area page. 

If you have care and support needs and are unable to protect yourself because of these needs your local adult social care team may also be able to help – Report Abuse

If you have concerns regarding children in an abusive household you should contact your local children social care department: https://www.teescpp.org.uk/

Respect Phoneline: If you are concerned about your behaviour or the behaviour of someone you know, there is support available. The Respect Phoneline is an anonymous and confidential helpline for men and women who are abusing their partners and families.

Further information:

Domestic Abuse: How to get help: Find out how to get help if you or someone you know is a victim of domestic abuse (available in easy ready and other languages).

Refuge, the UK’s largest specialist domestic abuse organisation

British Sign Language Video: Domestic abuse – how to get help – YouTube

Cleveland Police Advice and Information on Domestic Abuse

Links to Other Organisations

Safety Apps

  • Hollie Guard: If you are in danger, you can shake or tap your phone which immediately notifies your chosen contacts, pinpoint your location and sends audio and video evidence directly to their mobile phones.
  • Bright Sky: Bright Sky is a safe and discreet app, which can be disguised as a weather app. You can access information about Domestic Abuse, support services in your area and create a diary, including photos or voice messages which can be sent to a safe email address if you choose to set this up. This is an effective way build evidence, it can also provide reassurance to yourself of what has happened to prevent the perpetrator from ‘gaslighting’ and making you doubt your memory of past incidents. Information is available in five languages: English, Welsh, Polish, Punjabi, and Urdu.

Further information and resources on Domestic Abuse, including creating a safety plan and a quiz to help you to recognise controlling and abuse behaviour in relationships can be found on the Women’s Aid website.