Domestic Abuse Strategy

In this section

  1. About this strategy
  2. Foreword
  3. What is Domestic Abuse?
  4. National and local Context
  5. Our Expectation
  6. Our approach to domestic abuse
  7. Our Priorities
  8. Delivery and Governance
  9. Outcomes framework
  10. Conclusion
  11. Support organisations
  12. Appendix 1. Legislative Framework and national policy

What is Domestic Abuse?

The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 statutory definition of domestic abuse is:

“Any single incident or a course of conduct of physical or sexual abuse, violence or threatening behaviour, controlling or coercive behaviour, economic abuse, psychological, emotional or other abuse between those aged 16 or over who are or have been personally connected to each other”.

The definition of domestic abuse within the Domestic Abuse Act states that the person carrying out the abusive behaviour and the person directly receiving the abusive behaviour must be over 16. It defines children who see, hear or otherwise experience the abuse as survivors of the abuse.