What is Domestic Violence

Domestic Violence is controlling behaviour and includes all kinds of physical, sexual, economic, emotional and psychological abuse within intimate and family relationships. The most common form of abuse is carried out by men against female partners, but abuse can also occur by women against men and within same-sex relationships.

People experience Domestic Violence regardless of their social group, class, age race, disability, sexuality or lifestyle. Abuse can begin at any time in a new relationship or after many years spent together.

Domestic Violence includes forced marriages, so called honour based violence and female genital mutilation.

Domestic violence frequently involves more than one of these and often increases over time. Women usually experience abuse for some time before seeking help. Domestic violence often results in a loss of confidence and a loss of self-esteem, and generally a woman blames herself.

 • 23% of all violent crime reported to the police in Preston relates to domestic violence (Preston Police – March 2008)

• Domestic violence is the second largest cause of homelessness in Preston (Preston City Council)

• 1 in 4 women experience domestic violence over their lifetime (Council of Europe, 2002)

• In England and Wales the total cost of domestic violence, for the state, employers and victims is £23 billion per annum (Walby, 2004)

• 30% of DV cases start or increase during pregnancy

• 45% of women have experienced domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking (British Crime Survey, 2004)

• Of 500,000 domestic violence reports, 16% led to arrests, 0.3% led to imprisonment (Dept. Constitutional Affairs, 2004)

• The law on rape in marriage, making it an offence for a man to rape his wife, was only changed in England & Wales in 1991