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FORCEWIDE
Domestic abuse takes shape in many forms and without realising, you, your friend, your family member, or your colleague could be a victim of domestic abuse, whether that be at the hands of a partner or even a relative.
Detective Inspector Helen Collier from our Domestic Abuse Safeguarding Investigation Team said: “Quite often abuse goes unreported as members of our community are unaware that they are in fact a victim of domestic abuse.
“The sad reality for a lot of people is that abuse evolves overtime becoming progressively worse, stripping victims of their confidence and identity, making the abuse they are suffering just an everyday norm and that is not okay.
“Each case of domestic abuse is unique and comes in many forms, whether that be physical, psychological, emotional, financial abuse, or a mixture of all of them.
“We have had victims who have started in what appears to be a loving relationships with their partner, for them to then become increasingly controlling over who they are in communication with, whether that be over text message or who they are interacting with on social media.
“It then gradually becomes a normal expectation for the victim to provide justification and reason for everything they do and everyone they talk to online to their partner. This can cause them to withdraw from using their phone or interact with loved ones out of fear for what the consequences will be.
“In cases like this, the offending tends to escalate with perpetrators controlling other aspects of the victim’s life. This can include telling the victim what they can wear and when they are allowed to wear it, usually then coupled with who they can socialise with and when and where they can and cannot go causing the victim to feel more and more isolated.
“It is really important for victims to know that you can experience one or all of these signs of domestic abuse even just once, and it isn’t okay. There is never an excuse for this behaviour, and even if it does happen just once, you can come to us whether that is to report it or for additional support.”
We take all incidents extremely seriously and we would encourage anyone who believes they have been a victim or witnessed domestic abuse, in any form, to contact us as soon as possible. To report domestic abuse call us on 101 or if you’re in immediate danger, always call us on 999.
You can find out more about the different types of domestic abuse and the support networks available by visiting our campaign page.