What Matters Most 

Domestic abuse can take different forms, including:

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• Physical abuse: pushing, hitting, punching, kicking, choking and using weapons.

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• Sexual abuse: forcing or pressuring someone to have sex (rape), unwanted sexual activity, touching, groping someone or making them watch pornography.

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• Financial abuse: taking money, controlling finances, not letting someone work.

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• Emotional abuse / coercive control: repeatedly making someone feel bad or scared, stalking, blackmailing, constantly checking up on someone, playing mind games. Coercive control is now a criminal offence under the Serious Crime Act 2015.

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• Digital / online abuse: using technology to further isolate, humiliate or control someone.

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• Honour-based violence, forced marriage and female genital mutilation 

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