0800 254 0909 - Greater Manchester Domestic Abuse Helpline
(Monday - Friday 10am - 4pm)
0808 2000 247 - 24 hour National
Domestic Abuse Helpline
If you are in immediate danger call 999
SALFORD WOMEN'S AID
Supporting survivors of domestic abuse
About Domestic Abuse
Domestic abuse can affect anyone, regardless of age, race, religion, gender, disability, or lifestyle. It occurs in all types of relationships and for various reasons, and it’s almost never a one-time event.
It's important to remember that children who witness or live with domestic abuse are also victims.
What is Domestic Abuse?
Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are or have been intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality. In the vast majority of cases domestic abuse is experienced by women and is perpetrated by men.
Controlling Behaviour
A set of actions aimed at making someone dependent and powerless by cutting them off from support, using their resources for personal gain, taking away their ability to be independent or resist, and controlling their daily life.
Coercive Behaviour
An act or a pattern of acts of assault, threats, humiliation, degradation and intimidation or other abuse that is used to harm, punish, or frighten their victim.
*This definition includes so called ‘honour’ based violence, female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage, and is clear that victims are not confined to one gender or ethnic group.*
This can encompass but is not limited to the following types of abuse:
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Coercive control
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Psychological / Emotional
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Physical
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Sexual
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Financial
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Harassment / Stalking
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Online / Digital abuse
What are the signs of Domestic Abuse?
Destructive criticism and verbal abuse
Shouting/mocking/accusing/name calling/verbally threatening.
Pressure tactics
Sulking, threatening to withhold money, disconnect the telephone, take the car away, commit suicide, take the children away, report you to welfare agencies unless you comply with his demands regarding bringing up the children, lying to your friends and family about you, telling you that you have no choice in any decisions.
Disrespect
Persistently putting you down in front of other people, not listening or responding when you talk, interrupting your telephone calls, taking money from your purse without asking, refusing to help with childcare or housework.
Breaking trust
Lying to you, withholding information from you, being jealous, having other relationships, breaking promises and shared agreements.
Isolation
Monitoring or blocking your telephone calls, telling you where you can and cannot go, preventing you from seeing friends and relatives.
Harassment
Following you, checking up on you, opening your mail, repeatedly checking to see who you have been in contact with, embarrassing you in public.
Threats
Making angry gestures, using physical size to intimidate, shouting you down, destroying your possessions, breaking things, punching walls, wielding a knife or a gun, threatening to kill or harm you and the children.
Sexual violence
Using force, threats or intimidation to make you perform sexual acts, having sex with you when you don’t want to have sex, any degrading treatment based on your sexual orientation.
Physical violence
Punching, slapping, hitting, biting, pinching, kicking, pulling hair out, pushing, shoving, burning, strangling.
Denial
Saying the abuse doesn’t happen, saying you caused the abusive behaviour, being publicly gentle and patient, crying and begging for forgiveness, saying it will never happen again.