Domestic Abuse Act 2021 – Part 1 – Definition of domestic abuse
Section 1: Definition of “domestic abuse”
(1) This section defines “domestic abuse” for the purposes of this Act.
(2) Behaviour of a person (“A”) towards another person (“B”) is “domestic abuse” if—
(a) A and B are each aged 16 or over and are “personally connected” to each other, and
(b) the behaviour is abusive.
(3) Behaviour is “abusive” if it consists of any of the following—
- physical or sexual abuse
- violent or threatening behaviour
- controlling or coercive behaviour
- economic abuse (see subsection (4))
- psychological, emotional or other abuse
It does not matter whether the behaviour consists of a single incident or a course of conduct. It is widely recognised that the perpetrator’s desire to exercise power and control over the victim is at the centre of abusive behaviours.