Domestic Physical Abuse
Domestic Physical Abuse
Physical violence is not always a feature of domestic abuse and coercive control, but when it shows up, it is frightening, and often dangerous. Witnessing physical violence can impact children too, who are considered victims in their own right.
Physical abuse exists on a spectrum from being spat on, hit, shoved and slapped, through to severe violence that can cause injury, disfigurement, disability and in extreme cases, even death. Around two women a week and one man a month lose their lives every week in England and Wales at the hands of a current or former partner. Many more take their own lives.
Forms of physical abuse
- Slapping
- Hitting
- Punching
- Pushing
- Shoving
- Biting
- Kicking
- Burning
- Choking
- Holding the victim down
- Throwing things at the victim.
The violence can show up as:
- Cuts and bruises
- Broken bones and teeth
- Red or purple marks at the neck
- Burns and scalds
- Sprains and other soft tissue injury
- Facial injury
- Hair ripped out
- Intimate injuries caused by sexual assault
- Multiple injuries (pushed downstairs, thrown from vehicles)
- Being poisoned or drugged
- Injuries may be deliberately hidden or disguised
The spiral downward to violence is often preceded by the perpetrator having a bad or unpredictable temper; punching or kicking walls; destroying their partner’s belongings; threatening to harm pets; threatening to commit suicide if their partner leaves; threatening to take the children away or harm them; or threatening to hurt or kill their partner.
Intimidation
Although behaviour such as kicking doors and thumping walls is not technically physical abuse, it can be a pre-curser and a clear sign of someone being, or seeming to be, out of control.
Hidden Injuries
The abuser may hide the abuse by ensuring injuries will be hidden by clothes, such as injuries to the torso, thighs etc.
For reasons of shame and embarrassment, victim-survivors may also hide injuries with long sleeves, scarves or make-up. Or we might excuse injuries by saying we fell or bumped into something
Criminal Offences
Physical abuse may fall into criminal offences such as common assault, grievous bodily harm, making threats to kill, false imprisonment, non-fatal strangulation, attempted murder and murder.
Sometimes the police of Crown Prosecution Service may not pursue criminal charges. This might feel disappointing or frustrating. When an incident does not reach the criminal threshold but you still feel unsafe, you can apply to NCDV for a civil injunction.
