Domestic violence
Domestic violence is a serious crime. It currently claims the lives of an average of two people every week.
One in four women and one in six men will be a victim of domestic violence at some point in their lives. It is a crime which usually happens behind closed doors and many incidents are not reported to the police or other statutory agencies. We are determined to:
- prevent domestic violence happening or re-occurring
- protect victims and their children
- bring offenders to justice
What is domestic violence?
The Government defines domestic violence as: “Any incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional) between adults who are or have been intimate partners of family members regardless of gender or sexuality.” This includes issues of concern to Black and other Minority Ethnic communities such as ‘honour killings’.
Over the past few years the Government has introduced measures to support victims and encourage them to engage with the criminal justice system and other agencies.
Guidance for practitioners
We have produced the following guidance for practitioners on domestic violence:
Key publications
Latest publications
See also
Related links
Measures to support victims:
For practitioners

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Crown Copyright 2009