Domestic Abuse

Kirklees Council Domestic Abuse Webpage

West Yorkshire Police – Reporting Domestic Abuse

Resource Pack – Domestic Abuse

Domestic Abuse Services – Pennine Domestic Abuse Partnership

Protecting children from domestic abuse | NSPCC Learning

 

The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 defines the following behaviours as abusive:

(a) physical or sexual abuse;

(b) violent or threatening behaviour;

(c) controlling or coercive behaviour;

(d) economic abuse (i.e. substantial adverse effects on a victim’s ability to acquire, use or maintain money/property or obtain goods and services);

(e) psychological, emotional or other abuse;

It does not matter whether the behaviour consists of a single incident or a course of conduct.  Domestic abuse can happen in any kind of relationship where people are personally connected to each other, including intimate partners, family members and in carer relationships.

Children who experience domestic abuse are recognised as victims in their own right.

Impact on Children

• Domestic abuse is the most characteristic of situations where children are at risk of serious harm.
• One in five children experience domestic abuse growing up.
• There is a significant overlap between domestic and other forms of harm – a third of children affected by domestic abuse also experience other forms of abuse.
• The impact of ‘witnessing’ domestic abuse on children has been linked to:
  • direct physical harm
  • greater behavioural and emotional problems, neurological differences, more disordered attachments and learning problems
  • risk of poor mental health, school absence and additional academic support needs, youth offending, criminality and addiction issues.
• Recent research also highlights the link between parental domestic abuse and exploitation (including sexual, criminal and for the purposes of violent extremism)

In Kirklees…

Domestic abuse has a major impact on children, young people, adults and communities in Kirklees. Children are present in a third of local domestic abuse incidents reported to the police and domestic abuse is the most common reason why professionals ring Duty and Advice for help. Domestic abuse affects people from all communities and backgrounds and perpetrator behaviours can cause, exacerbate or interfere with poverty, mental ill health, alcohol and drug misuse and parenting capacity.

Domestic abuse is a priority for Safer Kirklees and has been identified as a key theme in the Safer Kirklees Partnership Plan. Our Partnership has made a commitment to work together around individuals, families and communities to prevent, respond to and repair the damage caused by domestic abuse, with a range of services that are accessible and available to anyone who may need them.

Domestic Abuse Strategy 2022-2027

Local Resources

• Domestic Violence Notifications to Schools – Operation Encompass
• Kirklees Joint Agency Protocol for Domestic Violence and Abuse – School Notifications
• Kirklees Safeguarding Adults Board Domestic Abuse Factsheet
• Daily Risk Assessment Management Meeting (DRAMM) and Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC)

National Resources

• Domestic abuse: how to get help – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and Domestic abuse: specialist sources of support – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
• How to Protect Children From Domestic Abuse | NSPCC
• Domestic Abuse: a toolkit for employers – Guide For Employers (bitc.org.uk)
• Information and support on tech abuse | Refuge Tech Safety
• Domestic Abuse Act 2021: statutory guidance Home Office
• Violence against women and girls Home Office

You might be interested in?

• Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC)
• Adolescent to Parent Violence and Abuse (APVA)