The legal definition of domestic abuse is:
And it does not matter whether the behaviour consists of a single incident or a course of conduct.
Two people are personally connected to each other if any of the following applies:
Children who live in families where there is domestic abuse can suffer serious long-term emotional and psychological effects. Even if they are not physically harmed or do not witness acts of violence, they can pick up on the tensions and harmful interactions between adults. Children of any age are affected by domestic violence and abuse. At no age will they be unaffected by what is happening, even when they are in the womb.
Children may experience domestic abuse directly, but they can also experience it indirectly by:
The physical, psychological and emotional effects of domestic abuse on children can be severe and long-lasting. It can be difficult to tell if domestic abuse is happening because perpetrators may act very differently when around others.
All children living with domestic abuse and violence are under stress. Some signs that children who experience domestic abuse may present are:
While the definition of domestic abuse only covers those aged 16 and above, young people aged 13 to 15 can also be victims of intimate partner abuse. Teenage intimate partner abuse is in relation to an intimate partner relationship of the same age and does not include a young person being exploited by an adult or other young person or a young person being abused by an adult either within or outside their family.
For more information please see the Young Persons DASH and support can be offered to the victim by STOP DOMESTIC ABUSE.
Adolescent to parent violence and abuse (APVA) may also be known as Adolescent to Parent Violence (APV) or Child to Parent Violence (CPV). There is currently no legal definition of APVA however, it is increasingly recognised as a form of domestic violence and abuse and, depending on the age of the child, it may fall under the government’s official definition of domestic violence and abuse.
Professionals should consider the presence of domestic abuse as an indicator of the need to assess a child’s need for support and protection. Both parents need to be actively involved in the assessment process; however you also need to consider the risks to the adult victim within this process.
Speaking to the child
Make sure the child’s experiences and views are captured and included. In contexts where the safety of the adult victim is seen as the main priority this can dominate people’s immediate thinking and action, and children’s voices can be lost. The Lets Talk toolkit will help capture the voice of the child.
Refer to the HIPS Procedure for Safeguarding Children Exposed to Domestic Violence and Abuse
Worried about a child – If you are concerned that a child or young person has suffered harm, neglect or abuse, please contact Portsmouth Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)
If a child is at immediate risk of harm, call the Police on 999.
Speaking to the victim
Professionals need to ascertain the risks to the adult victim; below are some tips.
Before asking the Domestic Violence and Abuse screening questions consider:
Opening Questions:
Have you ever felt frightened or had to change your behaviour due to someone who you have a close relationship with?
Secondary Questions:
Protection Planning: Do you have a safe place to go in an emergency?
For those adults who disclose they are a victim of domestic abuse please see the domestic abuse referral pathway to confirm how to respond.
Speaking to the person who is being abusive or using unhealthy behaviours
Professionals are encouraged to involve both parents in the care of their children. While this should continue where there is domestic abuse, when safe to do so, it is important any involvement of the abusive partner does not increase risks to either their child or the parent who is the victim.
To help to assess the risks of speaking to the abusive partner consider the following questions to ask when alone with the victim
About your ex/partner’s behaviour
How you respond
Challenge and Support
Referring agencies need to identify the level of risk, using the DASH or providing evidence of professional judgement and refer to the appropriate service. Please see the Domestic Abuse Pathway for how to respond and referral details.
To refer please use the single point of contact by phoning 023 9206 5494 or email portsmouthreferral@stopdomesticabuse.uk or portsmouth.referral@stopdomesticabuse.cjsm.net using this form.
For other support options for victims with specific characteristics or other individual needs, please access the resource page on the Domestic Abuse Commissioners website.
If you are worried a child has been sexually abused then you need to contact the MASH.
Worried about a child – If you are concerned that a child or young person has suffered harm, neglect or abuse, please contact Portsmouth Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)
If a child is at immediate risk of harm, call the Police on 999.
Portsmouth Abuse and Rape Counselling Service (PARCS) provides free specialist trauma-informed counselling, psychotherapy and community services for survivors of sexual and/or domestic abuse. This includes:
Email PARCS@Family-Action.org.uk or phone 023 9266 9513 during office hours.
Helpline for any adult affected by sexual violence, either as a survivor or as a family / friend of a survivor, operates Monday 11am-2pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays 4.30-8pm, supported by 24-hour answerphones. Tel no. 0300 222 5735
For parents and children who have suffered an unwanted sexual experience, regardless of when the incident happened or characteristics such as age, gender or sexuality and want practical support and guidance then an Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA) can offer help. Yellow Door offer a free ISVA service and can give independent advice and support to help parents make informed choices about what happens next, including whether to report to the police. They provide support throughout the criminal justice process if parents proceed in that way and they will advise on what their health care options are.
In addition to the core ISVA service Yellow Door offer a specialist Family ISVA and Male ISVA.
If you would like to know more contact Yellow Door on 023 8063 6312, email them at info@yellowdoor.org.uk or visit their wesbite
Also refer to the HIPS Procedure for Adults who Disclose Childhood Sexual Abuse
Multi-agency training for professionals is delivered by Stop Domestic Abuse. The “Responding to Domestic Abuse” training combines the existing ‘victim’- and ‘perpetrator’-focused training, and aims to:
Upcoming training dates
Training dates for 2023 are:
Training dates for 2024 are:
The dates for the DA Combined training in 2024 are:
To book a place contact Stop Domestic Abuse via email portsmouthtraining@stopdomesticabuse.uk. Training is likely to move to face to face, however this will be confirmed once you are booked onto the course.
Information Sharing (Clare’s Law and Sarah’s Law)
This course will give you confidence when it comes to:
This course is delivered by Hampshire and IOW Constabulary. It is aimed at any front-line practitioners working with children or adults at risk, including social workers, safeguarding leads, health workers, housing staff, teachers and those working in child care.
This training is online via Microsoft Teams. There is no need to book. Please put the session in your diary and join using the Teams links below.
E-Learning courses
Please see below a list of free online E-Learning courses:
This online course has been developed with the Forced Marriage Unit of the Foreign Office and aims to raise awareness, challenge perceptions and explains what to do should you suspect someone is at risk.
Conducting a domestic homicide review
For frontline practitioners. By the end of the course you should be able to understand:
Online training is available via the Safelives Community website – you’ll need to sign up to the Safelives Community, but once logged in, the following free courses are available:
Recognising and preventing female genital mutilation (FGM)
The Home Office has produced an e-learning package on FGM intended for people working in health, the police, education, the border force and children’s service. It is also suitable as an awareness raising tool for other professionals. You will need to register for this free training.
For advice, help & support out of hours or for specific needs: