About domestic abuse
Many people think that domestic abuse is only about intimate partners, but it is important to remember that other family members can also be victims, and that much safeguarding work that occurs at home with both children and adults is concerned with domestic abuse.
On 29 April 2021, the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 became law. This has provided us with a statutory definition of domestic abuse, emphasising that it is not just physical violence, but can also be emotional, controlling or coercive, and economic abuse.
In addition, the Act:
- Extends the controlling or coercive behaviour offence to cover post-separation abuse.
- A child who sees, hears, or experiences the effects of domestic abuse and is related to the person being abused or the abuser, will also to be regarded as a victim of domestic abuse in their own right.
- Extends the offence of disclosing private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress (known as the “revenge porn” offence) to cover threats to disclose such material.
- Creates a new offence of non-fatal strangulation or suffocation of another person.
- Enables domestic abuse offenders to be subject to polygraph testing as a condition of their licence following their release from custody.
- Places the guidance supporting the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (“Clare’s law”) on a statutory footing.
- Provides that all eligible homeless victims of domestic abuse automatically have ‘priority need’ for homelessness assistance.
- Extends the controlling or coercive behaviour offence to cover post-separation abuse.
- A child who sees, hears, or experiences the effects of domestic abuse and is related to the person being abused or the abuser, will also to be regarded as a victim of domestic abuse in their own right.
- Extends the offence of disclosing private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress (known as the “revenge porn” offence) to cover threats to disclose such material.
- Creates a new offence of non-fatal strangulation or suffocation of another person.
- Enables domestic abuse offenders to be subject to polygraph testing as a condition of their licence following their release from custody.
- Places the guidance supporting the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (“Clare’s law”) on a statutory footing.
- Provides that all eligible homeless victims of domestic abuse automatically have ‘priority need’ for homelessness assistance.
Read more on the Domestic Abuse Act, 2021 and its full reach