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Home > Services > Maternity services > Specialist support > Domestic abuse

Domestic abuse

Pregnancy can be a trigger for domestic abuse, and existing abuse may get worse during pregnancy or after giving birth. We are here to give you help and support.

Information:

Domestic abuse is an incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening, degrading and violent behaviour, including sexual violence, in most cases by a partner or ex-partner, or by a family member or carer. 

Domestic abuse can happen to anyone, and it can take many forms. This can include psychological, physical, sexual, financial, and emotional abuse.  

Domestic abuse also includes so-called ‘honour’ based violence, female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage.  

Important:

For urgent help

If you are in immediate danger, call 999 and ask for the police. If you are in danger and unable to talk on the phone, dial 999 and listen to the questions from the operator and respond by coughing or tapping the handset if you can.  How to make a silent 999 call | Metropolitan Police

What is an abusive relationship?

Each intimate or family-like relationship is unique. In abusive relationships the abuser tries to control their partner. This may be, but isn’t limited to: 

  • keeping you from seeing your friends or family 
  • preventing you or making it hard for you to continue or start studying, or go to work 
  • constantly checking up on you or following you 
  • unjustly accusing you of flirting or of having affairs with others 
  • constantly belittling or humiliating you, or regularly criticising or insulting you 
  • making you feel afraid, which makes you change your behaviour 
  • deliberately destroying any of your possessions 
  • hurting or threatening you or your children 
  • keeping you short of money so you can’t buy food and other necessary items for yourself and your children, or making you take out loans 
  • forcing you to do something that you really do not want to do 
  • preventing you from taking medication, or from getting medical help when you need it 
  • trying to control you by telling you that you could be deported because of your immigration status 
  • threatening to take your children away or stopping you from seeing them if you leave. 
  • forcing or harassing you to have sex 
  • making you take part in sexual activities that you are uncomfortable with 
  • preventing you from leaving the house 
  • controlling your use of alcohol or drugs. 

Myths  

  • A relationship is only abusive if it involves physical violence. 
  • All people who become involved in abusive relationships grew up in abusive families. 
  • Domestic abuse victims who don’t leave an abusive relationship right away must have something wrong with them.  
Information:

Domestic abuse is never the fault of the person who is experiencing it. Domestic abuse is a crime. 

How to get help  

If you think you are being abused, or worry you may commit domestic abuse, please speak to your midwife, GP or health visitor or call the police on 101.

We are here to provide you with help and support. All health professionals working with pregnant women and people are trained to understand what the needs of those at risk of experiencing domestic abuse are. Children are also at risk of harm if there is domestic abuse within a family. Our professionals must follow local and national safeguarding guidance to keep you and your children safe.

If you are in immediate danger, call 999 and ask for the police. If you are in danger and unable to talk on the phone, dial 999 and listen to the questions from the operator and respond by coughing or tapping the handset if you can. How to make a silent 999 call | Metropolitan Police

Helpful resources  and contacts 

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