Domestic Violence

Domestic violence/abuse is a crime that has a devastating impact on the community and accounts for a quarter of all violent crime in West Sussex.

It can occur in heterosexual and same sex relationships regardless of race, social status or class.

Sussex Police definition of domestic violence/abuse

“Any incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional) between adults (aged 18 or over) who are or have been intimate partners or are family members, regardless of gender or sexuality.” 

Family members include, for example, your mother, father, son, daughter, brother, sister, grandparents, in-laws and step-family.

Some of the things that someone close to you may be doing are:

• withholding your money;
• threatening you;
• threatening your children;
• breaking things in the house;
• playing 'mind games' with you;
• ridiculing your beliefs;
• stalking you;
• isolating you from family and friends; and/or
• forcing you to have sex.

You may feel trapped, scared, degraded and unable to do anything about your situation.

• Child contact centres
  A Child Contact Centre is a safe, friendly and neutral place where children of separated families can spend time with one or both parents, and sometimes other family members. It is a child-centred environment that puts the needs of the children first.

• Court Independent Domestic Violence Advisor
  Information on the Court IDVA Service.

• Definition of 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 or family members regardless of gender or sexuality.

• General information about domestic violence
  General Information and guidance for people who are or have been living with domestic violence.

• Help for male perpetrators
  The Respect Phoneline is an information and advice line for people who are concerned about their abusive and or violent behaviour.

• Help for male victims
  Domestic violence is a pattern of controlling and aggressive behaviour from one adult towards another, within the context of an intimate relationship. It can be physical, sexual, psychological or emotional abuse.

• Honour based violence
  Murders in the name of so-called honour, known to many as honour killings, are murders of mainly women who are killed for actual or perceived immoral behaviour, which is deemed to have breached the honour code of the family and or community, causing shame.

• Immigration and domestic violence
  Even if you do not have a permanent right to stay in the UK or British citizenship you still have the right to call the police for protection against violence and to apply for an injunction against your abusive partner.

• Mental health and domestic violence
  The victims of offenders who have committed specified sexual or violent offences have certain rights if those offenders become patients subject to specific provisions of the 1983 Act.

• Multi-agency risk assessment conference (MARAC)
  The MARAC is a single meeting which combines up-to-date risk information with a timely assessment of a victim's needs.

• Role of the Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA)
  The focus of the post is to provide proactive independent support to victims; involving the assessment of risk, safety planning and facilitating effective partnership working within multi-agencies, throughout the victims engagement with the criminal justice process.

• Saturn Centre - SARC
  The Saturn Centre is a sexual assault referral centre (SARC) based at Crawley Hospital. It provides a range of services to women and men who have been raped or sexually assaulted.

• Specialist domestic violence courts
  Specialist Domestic Violence Courts (SDVCs) provide a specialised way of dealing with domestic violence cases in magistrates courts. SDVCs refer to the approach of a whole system, rather than simply a court building or jurisdiction.

• Statistics on domestic violence
  Domestic violence is a serious violent crime comprising 16% of all violent incidents. A domestic violence incident is reported to the police every minute of every day, 365 days a year.

• Ways of Responding Through Health (WORTH)
  WORTH (Ways of responding through health), is an Independent Domestic Violence Advisory Service that identifies, assesses and assists people who have been affected by domestic abuse.