What is Domestic Violence

Domestic violence is the experience of abuse between yourself and your partner, inclusive of threatening behaviour and violence. The occurrence of domestic violence can take many forms including physical, emotional or sexual. It is not specific to any race, colour or creed.

Regardless of which form the violence comes in, rarely would it be a one off situation. The common signs to look out for in an abusive partner are their controlling and abusive behaviour where one attempts to empower you.

If you feel you are in an abusive relationship then you must come to its realisation and take action accordingly. There are many charities and organisations which can help you, including Nour. Please click here for immediate help.

There are also many myths associated with domestic violence such as “my partner is not violent; it is my fault he hit me” or “he only hits me sometimes but he always says sorry”. In addition, substance abuse is also not an excuse to justify any violent or threatening behaviour. They are all just excuses to conceal domestic violence. There should be no reason as to why a partner becomes violent or threatening towards his/her spouse and no justification can suffice to excuse any violent attributes.

A large percentage of domestic violence affects women however this does not make men exempt, as they too can be victims. It is also important to realise that children too can be affected by domestic violence. These children can become traumatised by what they have seen and experienced which can affect their development and later life.