#BreakTheSilence on domestic abuse
Domestic abuse is about power and control and can take many forms.
- Emotional: If you are constantly ridiculed, criticised or threatened - "if you leave me, I will tell the police you are abusing the kids".
- Financial: If your money is taken or controlled, or you are given "an allowance" or someone controls all the financial matters and makes all the financial decisions.
- Isolation: If you are told who you can or can't see or talk to, or told when you can and can't go out.
- Sexual: When you are forced or coerced into sexual acts, or watching or taking part in sexual activity that you do not want to .
- Physical: Including when you are hit, slapped, kicked or attacked.
Domestic abuse occurs between adults 16 and over who are (or have been) intimate partners or family members.
Getting Help
Contact Surrey Police on 101 (999 in an emergency), or any of your local outreach services who offer independent, confidential support, information and access to specialist services to anyone who has been affected by domestic abuse - whether they are still in the relationship or not.
Local support services can advise on:
- Legal Rights
- Housing Options
- Finances, budgeting, applying for benefits and debt advice
- Counselling services
- Children's needs
- Surrey Outreach services.
The key to the prevention of domestic abuse, and coercive control, is to #BreakTheSilence.
You can use these materials to raise awareness. If you would like to know more about our campaign in Surrey, or to invite us to run a campaign in your workplace, please email [email protected]
Documentaries
Breaking the Silence
A five part series illustrating the deadly consequence of coercive and controlling behaviour on a single family.
Ami's Story
A survivors account of an abusive relationship.
Campaigns
There is no pride in domestic abuse
A campaign raising awareness of domestic abuse in LGBT+ relationships.
Domestic Abuse Awareness Week 2018
We asked an artist to place mannequins, covered in real quotes from coercive control survivors, in Woking shops.
One of the mannequins placed in Woking to raise awareness of coercive control