What is Domestic Abuse?
Domestic Abuse is more common than people realise. It can happen to anyone regardless of sex, marital status, colour, age or religion. 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men are affected by domestic violence and abuse at some point in their life.
Domestic Abuse is essentially an imbalance of power and control, which comes in several forms. They are as follows:
- Physical – this is the most obvious form of abuse which includes but is not limited to hitting, slapping and punching
- Emotional – name calling, ignoring, shouting – anything that can lower the victim’s self-esteem
- Psychological – manipulating and deceiving – any way to make the victim think that they are in the wrong
- Sexual – inappropriate touching, forced nudity and having sex without consent (rape)
- Financial – controlling your finances, stopping you from working
If you are or know of someone that is affected by Domestic Abuse please click here to find out how Hafan Cymru can help. Unfortunately, not only women and men are affected, but also children and young people. In 90% of domestic abuse incidents, children are in the same or the next room. Also in the majority of cases where children and young people witness abuse they are also at risk of being directly abused themselves.
Fortunately Hafan Cymru delivers an educational programme named Spectrum Project which educates the children and young people of Wales about healthy relationships and how to tackle the negative effects of abuse. For more information about our Spectrum Project please click here.