Domestic abuse

Where you can get help

Anyone can report domestic abuse to at our office, Greenfields House, where staff will provide a quiet and safe place to talk and offer advice on what to do next. You can also:

• Report domestic abuse directly to your ASB-Co-ordinator, by calling 01376 535400, visiting our office or completing the online form on this page: Report Anti-Social Behaviour Please be assured, we will not leave a voicemail, respond by text or discuss your case with anyone else who may answer your phone.
• Contact COMPASS – a single point of access to support male and female victims of domestic abuse across Essex
• Call the National Domestic Violence Helpline on 0808 2000 247
• Call the police on 999 if there is any immediate danger, or visit a police station.

What is domestic abuse?

Domestic abuse, or domestic violence, is defined as any incident of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of their gender or sexuality.

It’s important to remember domestic abuse:

• can happen inside and outside the home
• can happen over the phone, on the internet and on social networking sites
• can happen in any relationship and can continue even after the relationship has ended
• both men and women can be abused or be abusers.

It is rarely a one-off event and tends to get worse over time. Abusers can be very controlling in the way they use their power and control over you and may blame you and other factors for their abusive behaviours.

Types of abuse

Domestic abuse can be emotional, physical, sexual, financial, economic or psychological, some of the traits you may recognise include;

• kicking, hitting, punching or cutting
• rape (including in a relationship)
• controlling someone’s finances by withholding money or stopping someone earning
• controlling behaviour, like telling someone where they can go and what they can wear
• not letting someone leave the house
• reading emails, text messages or letters
• threatening to kill someone or harm them
• threatening to another family member or pet.

Effects of domestic abuse

Living in a home where domestic abuse happens can have a serious impact on both yourself and a child or young person’s mental and physical wellbeing, as well as their behaviour, this can, in some situations last into adulthood.

Greenfields will take a zero-tolerance approach to any tenant/household member that has been proven to have committed any type of violence or abuse. We will do this by working closely with the Police and other key partners.

Make a Stand

Having supported 200 victims of domestic abuse since 2015, we’ve seen all too often the devastation abusers cause and the support social landlords should offer to victims.  That’s why Greenfields have no hesitation in joining hundreds of other UK housing associations by signing up to to the Chartered Institute of Housing’s ‘Make a Stand’ campaign.  For more information on the campaign please click on the following link: Make a Stand.