Domestic abuse takes place within relationships or families where one person bullies or controls another. It can happen to men, women and those in same sex

relationships, at any age and to people from any background. Domestic abuse can be:

Physical – slapping, punching, kicking, sleep deprivation, refusing you water or food, using weapons or burning or scalding.

Emotional – insulting you, blaming you, threatening you, or others, with violence, jealously, isolation or embarrassing you in front of others.

Sexual – rape, forcing you to have sex with other people or watch pornography, insisting on sexual acts that make you feel degraded or humiliated, deliberately causing unwanted pain during sex or refusal to use contraception.

Financial – taking money from you, not letting you have a bank account, stealing money from you, limiting you to an allowance or stopping you from getting or keeping a job.

Forced marriage - a forced marriage is conducted without the valid consent of one or both people, and pressure or abuse is used. This could include both physical and emotional pressure to get married.

Isolation – stopping you from going out, seeing friends or family or blocking your calls.

Harassment - obsessive jealousy, following and checking up on you, checking emails or text messages, accusing you of having affairs or telling you what to wear.

Denial - saying you cause the abuse or that they had a bad day, being loving and apologetic after an attack.