| Sisters, brothers, children and partners - the realms | | | | that domestic abuse is repetitive and pattern forming. |
| of domestic abuse know no bounds and often it is | | | | The nature of domestic abuse means it often goes |
| those closest to the victim who causes the most | | | | unnoticed, unreported and ignored but it must be |
| damage. Instead of providing support through tough | | | | remembered that domestic abuse is against the law |
| times, the victim's nearest and dearest are a | | | | and something can always be done to help anyone |
| common cause of angst and abuse in people's lives, | | | | subjected to it. Civil law primarily protects victims of |
| and this fact in itself can be difficult to overcome. | | | | abuse whilst criminal law seeks punishment for the |
| One out of every three women will suffer from a | | | | abuser. Whatever the circumstances and situation, |
| form of domestic abuse at some stage throughout | | | | the law exists to help those who need it most and |
| their life, as will one in six men. More often than not | | | | domestic abuse is just the same as any other crime |
| the abuser is a family member or someone known to | | | | committed and will be taken just as seriously. |
| the sufferer and abuse can take place anywhere; in | | | | The first step on the road to recovery is sharing the |
| the home, at work or whilst socialising. | | | | experience with someone else. Domestic abuse tends |
| A common misconception of domestic violence lies in | | | | to worsen and intensify over time so suffering in |
| the assumption that abuse is always physical. | | | | silence and hoping the problem will go away is not |
| However, the truth is you don't need visible bruises | | | | the answer. |
| to be a sufferer of domestic abuse; what you | | | | Hiding the hurt will not rectify the situation and to |
| cannot see is just as damaging as what you can, and | | | | truly overcome domestic abuse the help of others is |
| emotional and mental abuse are equally as common | | | | required; whether it is friends, family, support |
| as their physical counterpart. | | | | organisations, doctors or the police and judiciary |
| It is also not only the direct victim whose life is | | | | system. Domestic abuse and violence can make the |
| affected by domestic abuse, however, as children, | | | | sufferer feel isolated but they are never alone and a |
| friends and family often become involved and can | | | | wealth of support organisations are in operation, |
| also be adversely affected by the abuser and the | | | | providing an array of services from counselling to |
| surrounding circumstances. The family unit is | | | | provision of temporary housing. |
| particularly affected by this type of abuse. In Britain, | | | | Sharing the experience of domestic abuse is a |
| almost three-quarters of children considered 'at risk' | | | | difficult step to take but doing so will herald a fresh |
| by Social Services are living in households where one | | | | start for anyone affected and is a positive step |
| of their parents or carers is abusing the other. A high | | | | towards ending abuse that no-one deserves to |
| proportion of these children are themselves being | | | | suffer from. |
| abused by the same perpetrator, reiterating the fact | | | | |