Domestic violence consultation

The Home Office has launched a consultation asking for views on whether the current cross-government definition of domestic violence should be widened. It also seeks views on whether the current definition is being applied consistently across government, and if it is understood by practitioners, victims and perpetrators.

Four initial options have been raised:

1 - the definition of domestic violence remains the same
2 - the definition of domestic violence is amended to include coercive control
3 - the government’s definition of domestic violence is extended to all 16- to 17-year-olds
4 - the government’s definition of domestic violence is extended to all those under 18

The current definition of what constitutes domestic violence is: ‘any incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse [psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional] between adults who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality’.

In relation to point 2, the consultation document describes coercive control as a complex pattern of abuse using power and psychological control over another – financial control, verbal abuse, forced social isolation.  These incidents may vary in seriousness and be repeated over time. However, as it is not included in the current definition, the consultation seeks views as to whether it should be.

The closing date for responses to the consultaition is 30 March 2012.

Cross-government definition of domestic violence consultation

On a related point, it is unclear as to how, or if, this would affect the current confusion over domestic violence contained with the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill which is currently in the Lords. See for example, Abused women will suffer from legal aid cuts, charity claims which highlights a report by the National Federation of Women’s Institutes (NFWI), entitled Legal Aid is a Lifeline.

They claim that the narrow definition of domestic violence within the Bill will deprive many vulnerable women of the protection they need, and is more restrictive than the support currently available and inconsistent with the definition used elsewhere in the legal system by the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo).