Domestic abuse
Who will experience domestic abuse?
Domestic abuse can happen to anyone regardless of ethnicity, religion, class, age, sexuality, disability or lifestyle. It also occurs in same sex and transgender relationships.
Though men and women both experience domestic abuse, women are more likely to suffer repeated and severe offences, including sexual abuse and are at increased risk of being killed or seriously injured.
Who are the perpetrators?
The people who are most likely to be abusive, are those who have been in an abusive relationship before. Abusers often repeat their behaviour from one relationship to another.
Abusers tend to put the blame for their behaviour onto their victims in previous relationships – that they were not understood, treated badly or driven to it.
Abusers may be from any ethnic group, religion, class, age or neighbourhood. The majority of perpetrators are men, and the effects of the abuse are markedly more severe for women.
Since abusers often show different behaviour in public to at home, many people don’t realise when domestic abuse is happening in their community. It can be difficult to believe that a person who seems so pleasant may abuse their family. This can make it even harder for men and women to reach out for support, as they may think they won’t be believed if they say anything.