Many people think of domestic abuse only as a physical assault by a man on a woman, but it can take many different forms. The definition used in Manchester is:

'any incident of threatening behaviour, violence and abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional) between people who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender' (Manchester Domestic Abuse Strategy 2007).

This definition includes forced marriage and abuse within same sex relationships.

Domestic abuse is very common and affects one in four women in their lifetime. Although most victims of domestic abuse are women and most abusers are men, domestic abuse can affect anyone. Domestic abuse is a pattern of controlling and aggressive behaviour that is used to maintain power and exert control on victims.

Why not take our questionnaire to help identify if you need some help and advice about domestic abuse.