Who is affected by abuse?
Abusive relationships cross all social boundaries – ANYONE can be affected.
Anyone could be a victim, a survivor or a perpetrator of abuse. It also affects friends, family, colleagues and neighbours – whole communities can be affected.
Men and women of all ages can be affected by abusive relationships; children and young people may be affected by abuse in the adult relationships around them, as well as in their own relationships. Older people can experience abuse from their carer’s.
Abuse affects people of all sexuality – heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people can all find themselves in abusive relationships.
Abusive relationships affect people with and without disabilities, with and without mental health issues, with and without substance misuse problems, with and without learning difficulties.
Abuse affects people regardless of income; the unemployed and employed, people from all professions, wealthy people and those on a low income, the highly educated and those with little education can be in an abusive relationship.
Abusive relationships do not discriminate against religion, belief systems or ethnic backgrounds.
Abuse affects people regardless.
Some forms of abusive relationships are more common among certain groups, such as Honour Based Violence, Forced Marriage and FGM, and some groups may be impacted in ways unique to them, such as ‘outing’ within the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities – however the affects of domestic abuse are significant for all those who experience it.
If you’d like to learn more about the different kinds of abuse and how they affect us, please see our ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS section.
If you think you are experiencing abuse, please see our GET HELP NOW section.
If you are worried you are abusing, please see our ADVICE FOR PERPETRATORS section.