The government definition of domestic violence and abuse is: ‘any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are, or have been, intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality. The abuse can encompass, but is not limited to:
psychological
physical
sexual
financial
emotional'
Abuse can take many forms. The one thing to remember is ‘how...
Working with victims of domestic violence, I've heard some very bad cases of women being physically hurt by their partners. Most of them knew from beginning that what was happening was not right but they've continued the relationship hoping it won't happen again. After going through all the phases, keeping vigilant and trying to prevent, making efforts to understand and help their perpetrator, in the end they had no regrets in leaving the relationship. Hard, sad, dangerous but obvious -...
When we think of domestic violence we often think of physical violence which involves a spouse or an intimate partner. This usually involves force against someone which results in injuries or endangers that person. Whether this occurs once or over a period of time physical assault or battering, regardless if the abuser is a partner or a family member is still a crime punishable by law. Domestic abuse:
Will affect one in four women and one in six men in their lifetime.
Leads to, on...
Domestic abuse can happen to anyone. It doesn’t matter what age you are, where you live, your ethnic background or what kind of relationship you are in. Although it is more common for women to be abused, men can be too. People often think of domestic abuse as involving physical violence but abuse can be psychological as well as physical. It is extremely difficult to escape from an abusive relationship and its effects are long lasting. Domestic abuse is used to gain and maintain control...
Most of us think of the famous (or infamous) Anglo-Saxon swear word as one of the most powerful words that anyone can say – although, of course, some people overuse it so much that it ends up having little power at all. However, this word has a tiny fraction of the force of another word beginning with f...a word that is truly one of the most powerful words in the English language. If you haven’t guessed already, that word is forgiveness. If the act of forgiving is done...
A recent incident between Nigella Lawson and her husband Charles Saatchi is discussed by some in the context of domestic abuse. What is this and how can counselling help? Domestic violence can occur in relationships across the board, irrespective of social standing, gender, ethnicity, religion, age or other strata. According to the charity Refuge, an average of two women a week are killed in England and Wales by a former or current partner due to domestic violence (1). 7% of women and 5%...
A controlling relationship is when an individual will begin to dominate and intimidate their partner, often through emotional and/or physical abuse. It may be hard to recognise the early signs of a controlling relationship, as the victim may feel that their partner is taking care of them and being protective. The control often begins by checking their partner's mobile phone, managing all finances, examining phone bills and making sure their partner seeks permission to buy things; this can then...
The UK has recently been shocked at the revelations that one of its best loved entertainers - Jimmy Savile - has been uncovered as a prolific sex offender. Commander Peter Spindler of the Metropolitan police said Savile used his fame and celebrity status to "hide in plain sight", adding that he had "groomed the nation". One positive side effect of the coverage over Savile’s crimes has been to give other victims of sexual abuse the courage to seek support. The National Association for...
Get our free monthly e-magazine straight to your inbox
Find out more at happiful.com
