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Domestic Violence
Dealing with violence at home
Violent, aggressive and controlling behaviour isn’t confined to school or the street, it can happen at home too; and it can happen in any family - it’s called domestic violence.
It can take the form of physical, emotional or sexual abuse.
It can be something that actually happens or something that is threatened.
It may happen regularly or just once in a while.
In most cases it happens between adults.
Most of it is committed by men against women.
Sometimes children are innocent victims caught up in violence between adults; and sometimes they are deliberately abused or neglected by adults.
In some cases children abuse their parents.
Whatever form it takes and however often it happens - domestic violence is wrong.
If it is happening to you, your brothers and sisters, one of your parents or perhaps a friend, there are things you should know, things you can do, and people that can help.
More than half a million acts of domestic violence are reported each year in England and Wales. Many more go unreported, undetected and unpunished.
Children get hurt most often when physical violence happens between adults because they are in the same room. In about half of all incidents they are caught up in the chaos or they get hurt trying to help those being attacked, which is most likely to be their mum.
When it happens and children are in another room, parents may think that their children can’t hear what’s happening, so they can get away with it. But children do hear and do know; and it can be just as frightening as seeing it.
