Domestic abuse is the mental, physical and/or sexual abuse by a partner or ex-partner. In most cases, it is experienced by women and children, and is perpetrated by men. Domestic abuse is often serious and sustained and can be life threatening.
Domestic abuse is not an isolated incident. It is usually a pattern of controlling behaviour which gets worse over time. Controlling behaviour includes telling someone what they can do, who they can see, how they can spend their time and undermining their self-confidence and self-esteem. Physical violence and threats may be used to maintain control.
Domestic abuse is common. One in five women in Scotland experiences domestic abuse at some stage in her life, according to the Scottish Crime Survey.
People use the words ‘domestic abuse’ and ‘domestic violence’ interchangeably.
In the National Strategy to Address Domestic Abuse in Scotland, the Scottish Government defines domestic abuse as follows:
“Domestic abuse (as gender-based abuse) can be perpetrated by partners or ex-partners and can include physical abuse (assault and physical attack involving a range of behaviour), sexual abuse (acts which degrade and humiliate women and are perpetrated against their will, including rape) and mental and emotional abuse (such as threats, verbal abuse, racial abuse, withholding money and other types of controlling behaviour such as isolation from family and friends).”
Domestic abuse can include physical, mental and sexual abuse.
Whatever form it takes, domestic abuse is rarely a one-off incident. More usually it's a pattern of abusive and controlling behaviour through which the abuser seeks power over their victim. There is evidence that domestic abuse escalates in frequency and intensity over time, and may increase at specific points in a woman's life (such as, for example, during pregnancy and following the birth of a child) or at particular times (such as separation or divorce). At its most extreme, women may be murdered by their partner.
Witnessing the abuse of their mother is emotional abuse of children and there are links between domestic abuse and all forms of child abuse.