Welsh Women’s Aid define domestic abuse as "the actual or threatened physical, emotional, psychological, sexual or financial abuse of a woman by a partner, family member or someone with whom there is, or has been, a close relationship. This abuse also relates to the perpetrator allowing or causing a child to witness, or be at risk of witnessing, domestic abuse."

Domestic abuse essentially involves the misuse of power and exercise of control by one person over another with whom there is or has been a close relationship.

Domestic abuse occurs irrespective of gender, race, class, age, religion, sexuality, mental ability, physical ability, income, lifestyle or geographical area of residence.

Statistics show that 97% of reported incidences of domestic abuse are perpetrated by men against women. However, Welsh Women's Aid recognises that domestic abuse can occur within same sex relationships and that, in a very small number of cases, women are the perpetrators of abuse.

There are many different forms of domestic abuse but they fall mainly into 4 categories. These are:

For more information about abuse, you can visit the Wales Domestic Abuse Helpline website