Definition (Domestic Abuse Act 2021)
Section 1: Definition of “domestic abuse”
(1) This section defines “domestic abuse” for the purpose of this Act
(2) Behaviour of a person (”A”) towards another person (”B”) is “domestic abuse” if —
● A and B are each aged 16 or over, and are personally connected to each other, and
● the behaviour is abusive
(3) Behaviour is “abusive” if it consists of any of the following —
● physical or sexual abuse
● violent or threatening
● controlling or coercive behaviour
● economic abuse
● psychological, emotional, or other abuse
and it does not matter whether the behaviour consists of a single incident or a course of conduct
Section 2: Definition of “personally connected”
(1) Two people are “personally connected” to each other if any of the following applies —
● they are, or have been, married to each other
● they are, or have been, civil partners of each other
● they have agreed to marry one another (whether or not the agreement has been terminated)
● they have entered into a civil partnership agreement (whether or not the agreement has been
terminated)
● they are, or have been, in an intimate personal relationship with each other
● they each have, or there has been a time when they each have had, a parental relationship in
relation to the same child (see subsection (2))
● they are relatives
Section 3: Children as victims of domestic abuse
(1) This section applies where behaviour of a person (“A”) towards another person (“B”) is domestic
abuse
(2) Any reference in this Act to a victim of domestic abuse includes a reference to a child who –
● sees or hears, or experiences the effect of, the abuse, and
● (b) is related to A or B
(3) A child is related to a person for the purposes of
subsection (2) if –
● the person is a parent of, or has parental responsibility for, the child, or
, ● the child and the person are relatives
Forms of Domestic Abuse
● Intimate Partner Abuse
● Teenage Relationship Abuse (under 16 considered Child Abuse)
● Abuse by Family Members
● Child-to-Parent Abuse (if over 16 considered Domestic Abuse)
Is it a societal issue or a personal issue?
Polarised debate
● Domestic abuse is a gendered crime committed by men against women with the intention to
dominate them for reasons of power and control e.g Dobash & Dobash, 1979, 2004; Pence &
Paymar, 1993)
● Gender is only one risk factor for perpetration, there is more equal distribution across gender
in the perpetration of domestic abuse (Archer, 2000)
Domestic Abuse Dominant Ideology
● Male privilege/dominance/entitlement/power & control
Where does this come from?
Feminist Ideology
Female Researchers believe the cause of ‘Intimate Partner Violence’ is gender (see Dobash & Dobash,
1979, 2004)
‘The Duluth Model’ (see Pence & Paymar, 1993)
Section 1: Definition of “domestic abuse”
(1) This section defines “domestic abuse” for the purpose of this Act
(2) Behaviour of a person (”A”) towards another person (”B”) is “domestic abuse” if —
● A and B are each aged 16 or over, and are personally connected to each other, and
● the behaviour is abusive
(3) Behaviour is “abusive” if it consists of any of the following —
● physical or sexual abuse
● violent or threatening
● controlling or coercive behaviour
● economic abuse
● psychological, emotional, or other abuse
and it does not matter whether the behaviour consists of a single incident or a course of conduct
Section 2: Definition of “personally connected”
(1) Two people are “personally connected” to each other if any of the following applies —
● they are, or have been, married to each other
● they are, or have been, civil partners of each other
● they have agreed to marry one another (whether or not the agreement has been terminated)
● they have entered into a civil partnership agreement (whether or not the agreement has been
terminated)
● they are, or have been, in an intimate personal relationship with each other
● they each have, or there has been a time when they each have had, a parental relationship in
relation to the same child (see subsection (2))
● they are relatives
Section 3: Children as victims of domestic abuse
(1) This section applies where behaviour of a person (“A”) towards another person (“B”) is domestic
abuse
(2) Any reference in this Act to a victim of domestic abuse includes a reference to a child who –
● sees or hears, or experiences the effect of, the abuse, and
● (b) is related to A or B
(3) A child is related to a person for the purposes of
subsection (2) if –
● the person is a parent of, or has parental responsibility for, the child, or
, ● the child and the person are relatives
Forms of Domestic Abuse
● Intimate Partner Abuse
● Teenage Relationship Abuse (under 16 considered Child Abuse)
● Abuse by Family Members
● Child-to-Parent Abuse (if over 16 considered Domestic Abuse)
Is it a societal issue or a personal issue?
Polarised debate
● Domestic abuse is a gendered crime committed by men against women with the intention to
dominate them for reasons of power and control e.g Dobash & Dobash, 1979, 2004; Pence &
Paymar, 1993)
● Gender is only one risk factor for perpetration, there is more equal distribution across gender
in the perpetration of domestic abuse (Archer, 2000)
Domestic Abuse Dominant Ideology
● Male privilege/dominance/entitlement/power & control
Where does this come from?
Feminist Ideology
Female Researchers believe the cause of ‘Intimate Partner Violence’ is gender (see Dobash & Dobash,
1979, 2004)
‘The Duluth Model’ (see Pence & Paymar, 1993)
