Domestic Abuse Info

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Domestic Abuse Info

Most people find it helpful to have a definition of ‘domestic abuse’. There are many different definitions of domestic abuse, but the project has kept close to Scotland’s national definition, as below:

Definition of LGBT Domestic Abuse

Domestic abuse can be perpetrated by partners or ex-partners and can include physical abuse (assault and physical attack involving a range of behaviour), sexual abuse (acts which degrade and humiliate and are perpetrated against the person’s will, including rape), and mental and emotional abuse (such as threats, verbal abuse, racial abuse, homophobic/biphobic/transphobic abuse, withholding money and other types of controlling behaviour such as ‘outing’ or the threat of ‘outing’ or enforced isolation from family and friends).

In accepting this definition it must be recognised that children are witness to, and may be subject to the abuse, and children who witness or are used in the abuse, can experience stress and fear and may suffer a range of adverse effects, including physical injury, poor health and an array of psychological difficulties.

This project supports the Scottish gender-based definition of domestic abuse, which can be found in the Scottish Executive’s Strategy to Address Domestic Abuse in Scotland.  The gender-based analysis of domestic abuse can still be applied to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people's experience of domestic abuse.  However, we have amended the definition to take account of specific experiences applicable to LGBT people and to ensure that gay, bisexual and transgender men are fully included within the aims of this project.