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The council uses the definition of domestic abuse as set out in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, which defines domestic abuse as:
“The behaviour of one person towards another who are each aged 16 or over and are personally connected to each other, and the behaviour is abusive”.
Personally connected refers to those who are intimate partners, ex-partners, family members or individuals who share parental responsibility for a child. There is no requirement for the survivor and perpetrator to live in the same household.
The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 defines behaviour as abusive if it includes any of the following:
- Physical or sexual abuse
- Violent or threatening behaviour
- Controlling or coercive behaviour
- Economic abuse
- Psychological, emotional or other abuse
It does not matter whether the behaviour consists of a single incident or a course of conduct.
Stalking, female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage are all offences in their own right but may also be demonstrative of domestic abuse.