LGBT Domestic Violence/Abuse
LGBT Domestic Violence/Abuse
The UK Home Office defines domestic violence and abuse as:
‘Any incident, or pattern of incidents, of controlling, coercive, threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are, or have been, intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality.’
Domestic abuse can include, but is not limited to, the following:
- Psychological
- Physical
- Sexual
- Financial
- Emotional
Controlling behaviour is a range of acts designed to make a person subordinate and/or dependent by isolating them from sources of support, exploiting their resources and capacities for personal gain, depriving them of the means needed for independence, resistance and escape, and regulating their everyday behaviour.
Coercive behaviour is an act, or a pattern of acts, of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation, or other abuse that is used to harm, punish, or frighten their victim.
Domestic violence includes so-called ‘honour’ based violence, female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage.
If you, or someone you know, is in immediate danger you should contact the police on 999.
Support information and contact details can be found at the bottom of this page or on the Stonewall website: https://www.stonewall.org.uk/help-advice/criminal-law/domestic-violence
Domestic Violence/Abuse information
As part of our Spotlight on LGBT+ people and domestic abuse, we spoke to Evelyn Sharpe from RISE. Evelyn spoke about the barriers faced by her clients, and how services can better support LGBT+ victims and survivors of domestic abuse.
Visit our Spotlight homepage for more:
http://safelives.org.uk/knowledge-hub/spotlights/spotlight-6-lgbt-people-and-domestic-abuse
Nearly a third of LGBT+ domestic violence victims have attempted suicide
Nearly a third of women and non-binary LGBT+ domestic violence victims have attempted suicide after being abused.
The damning statistics intend to illustrate the odds stacked up against queer domestic violence victims who are struggling for help to overcome abuse.
Around 28 percent of these victims have contemplated suicide, reported Cosmopolitan.
Continue Reading:
Greater Manchester Police logs 775 LGBT domestic violence reports
Nearly 800 reports of domestic violence within Greater Manchester’s LGBT community were recorded by police during the last 12 months.
In April 2017 Greater Manchester Police (GMP) became the first force in the UK to specifically record such abuse, and have logged 775 cases.
Baroness Beverley Hughes, deputy mayor for policing, said GMP now has a “clearer picture” of the abuse.
GMP said officers have also received extra training on dealing with victims.
Among those to report abuse was a mother who was dragged out of her car by her partner.
Her nose was broken and ribs fractured in the attack, police said.
The offender was arrested and pleaded guilty to common assault.
Continue Reading:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-43710402
Alice, 24, from Caerphilly, wants to raise awareness of domestic violence in LGBT relationships.
Galop
For information, advice and support contact Galop, who run a national LGBT domestic violence helpline. The helpline is for LGBT people, their family, friends, and agencies supporting them. The helpline provides a space to talk through what’s going on, and to explore your options.
Phone: 0800 999 5428
Email: help@galop.org.uk
Galop information sheets
- Domestic Violence and Abuse and the LGBT communities
- For service providers – Barriers
- For service providers – Myths
- Well-being and self-care
- What to do following an incident
You can find local LGBT groups and other useful contacts through Stonewall’s online database What’s In My Area.
For further information you can fill out our enquiry form or call Stonewall’s Information Service on 08000 502020 (Monday to Friday 9.30-5.30)
Information on this and other LGBTQ+ subjects can be found on the Stonewall website: