Domestic violence takes place between people who have, or have had, a relationship. They include husbands and wives, former partners and children. Domestic violence takes many forms, for example:
- Physical violence – hitting, pushing, causing injury or forcing the victim to have sex
- Threatening behaviour
- Swearing and shouting
- Behaviour that humiliates or degrades the victim
- Taking control of money
- Stopping the victim from leaving the home
Domestic violence can begin at any time during a relationship and tends to grow worse with time and become more frequent.
Who experiences domestic violence?
Domestic violence can happen in any kind of relationship – heterosexual, gay, bisexual and transgender.
People suffer domestic violence regardless of their social group, class, age, race, disability, sexuality or lifestyle.
Children are often silent victims. To witness, or be a victim of, domestic violence can seriously affect a child’s behaviour, health, performance at school and long term future.
Factors that can trigger violence include:
- Trying to leave a partner
- Feeling alone and socially isolated because someone doesn’t speak english or has a disability that stops them going out or talking to people
- Misuse of drugs and/or alcohol
Can anyone help?
To speak to someone in confidence for support, information or an emergency referral to temporary accommodation, contact the free 24-hour national domestic violence helpline 0808 2000 247 or visit: www.nationaldomesticviolencehelpline.org.uk
Anti-social behaviour
Anti-social behaviour (asb) creates distress or alarm for people who are not from the same household as those causing it. It includes:
- Harassment
- Verbal or physical abuse
- Racial abuse or hate crime
- Criminal damage
- Vandalism
- Noise nuisance
- Graffiti
- Threatening or intimidating behaviour
- Smoking or drinking alcohol under age
- Selling drugs
- Substance misuse
- Litter and rubbish dumping
- Nuisance driving
If you feel you are a victim of asb, contact your housing officer on 0208 740 0220