We Specialise In
High Conflict Divorce & Separation
Domestic Abuse
Domestic abuse is an abuse of power, where one person in a relationship uses a variety of tactics to gain and maintain power and control over the other person.
An abuser will use a variety of tactics, including physical, sexual, emotional and financial abuse to maintain control.
Domestic abuse is not a single incident, but is a pattern of behaviour which is used to gain and maintain control over the other person, often over a long period of time. Many abusers tactics are subtle and the impacts are sometimes hard to recognise.
Domestic abuse takes many forms, including physical violence and coercion, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, intimidation, economic deprivation and threats of violence.
Abuse can happen at the beginning of a relationship or it may start later on, but it usually builds over a period of time as the abuser gains more control and the victim’s autonomy and self esteem is eroded.
Does Your Partner:
- Humiliate you with verbal abuse and put downs?
- Control what you do?
- Stop you from talking to friends or family?
- Make you account for money you spend?
- Prevent you from getting a job?
- Abuse you in front of your children?
- Act like the abuse is no big deal, blame you or deny doing it?
- Destroy your property or threaten your pets?
- Intimidate you with guns, knives or other weapons?
- Shove, slap or hit you or your children?
- Insist you have sex when you don’t want to, or insist you do things you are not comfortable with?
- Unfairly accuse you of being unfaithful?
- Threaten to commit suicide or threaten to kill you if you leave?
If you answered even one of the above, you could be in an abusive relationship.