Domestic Abuse/Violence

‘Domestic abuse’ or ‘domestic violence’ refers to any incident of intimidation, violence or abuse between adults who are, or have been, in a relationship together. Although domestic abuse may occur in gay and lesbian relationships, and there is increasing evidence of women abusing men in relationships, the vast majority of domestic violence incidents involve men abusing women.

Domestic violence is rarely a one-off incident. It is usually a pattern of abusive and controlling behaviour, often over a long period of time, through which the abuser seeks power over their victim. The health-related affects of domestic violence on the lives of victims can be physical injury, poor health and a range of psychological problems. Many victims experience other difficulties such as isolation from family and friends as well as low self-esteem and a feeling of worthlessness. Victims may also lose their home, job and place in the community.

Children are often affected by domestic violence, either as a direct victim or as a witness. For more information on children as victims visit this page on the website.  

There are a number of websites which provide useful information and support for victims of domestic violence, including Scottish Women’s Aid and the Scottish Domestic Abuse Helpline.  

The UK charity Refuge conducts research into the effects of domestic violence for victims, details of which can be found here. The Scottish based Zero Tolerance Charitable Trust is committed to influencing policy at the national level.

Findings from the 2003 and 2004 Scottish Crime Surveys about domestic abuse in Scotland can be found here.

The latest statistics on recorded incidents of domestic abuse in Scotland can be found here.

The Centre holds a small number of books on domestic abuse, details of which can be found here.