We are dedicated and are committed to supporting those affected by any form of domestic abuse. This page gives guidance, support and advice to anyone experiencing this crime.
IN AN EMERGENCY CALL 999
Domestic abuse can affect men and women of any age, from any culture or religion. It can happen within the family, or within a heterosexual or same sex relationship (or not in a relationship at all). Victims may live with or apart from their abuser.
We have put together this simple guide to help those who are suffering domestic abuse, or for those who are concerned about someone else who might be.
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Explore different places to find support
If home isn’t safe, support is available
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse or sexual violence, you can get help
For more information visit www.cambsdasv.org.uk
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Domestic abuse is defined as violence or abuse, commonly to maintain power and control over a current or former partner in a family or close relationship. Domestic abuse can happen to anyone, regardless of gender, sexuality, ethnicity, religion or background. It can take many forms, ranging from violent physical harm, through to coercive and threatening behaviours, intended to provoke fear , guilt and control over a victim. It can also affect any children living in a household. Most can fall into one of the following types:
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We have updated our Domestic Abuse policy that has improved the way domestic abuse incidents are identified, reported and responded to.
We’ll listen to you, believing what you tell us, and will contact you safely, in a way and time that suits you.
We’ll treat what you tell us confidentially but, if we’re concerned that someone is at risk of serious harm, we do have to pass this information on to the police.
We’ll be clear about what we can do and we’ll help you find specialist support. If you want to take action against your abuser, we can support you.
We will refer you to other organisations for more support and see where we can improve the security of you home if you do not wish to leave. We can refer you to the council for temporary accommodation if you do want to leave your home, or offer you a transfer to one of our properties in another borough if you cannot remain in your home.
We can offer you support, so please contact us on 0330 100 0272.
We will arrange a private, confidential interview within one working day, and will provide appropriate advice, assistance and support.
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It is important to remember that not all abuse is physical and that anybody from any gender and age can be a victim or perpetrator of abuse.
The abuse can be physical, psychological, sexual, financial or emotional, or could be in the form of ‘honour’ based violence, including forced marriage or female genital mutilation (FGM). It’s rarely a one-off incident and tends to get worse over time.
Some victims of abuse may have bruising, cuts, or broken bones. However in many cases the abuse can be emotional or coercive and harder to spot and if you are concerned about someone who may be experiencing abuse, they may withdraw or become distant.
It is important to remember that perpetrators of abuse can be extremely clever at covering their tracks. They are unlikely to be physically violent in public and may often be very pleasant towards others, often making the victim appear as though they are unreasonable or difficult to live with. If you believe that someone may be suffering abuse, you should trust your instinct. If something doesn’t feel right, it usually isn’t and you should report your concerns.
What should you do if you’ve witnessed, or suspect someone to be the victim of domestic abuse?
Before you act, go to the Neighbourhood Watch’s Toolkit, for more information and advice on what to do if you suspect someone to be the victim of domestic abuse.
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If you are worried about someone discovering you have been visiting websites regarding domestic abuse, please take a few minutes to read the information below and to take steps to increase your safety when visiting a web page.
If you do not use a password to log on to your computer, someone else will be able to access your email and track your internet usage. All of the above information may not completely hide your tracks, so the safest way to find information on the internet would be at a local library, a friend’s house, or at work.
Private browsing
All leading web browsers have a “private browsing” mode that, once enabled, stores nothing about your activity on your computer in that browsing window. This won’t stop online services from seeing what you get up to, but it won’t leave any traces of your activity on your computer (no history, web cache or anything else) and so it’s always a useful first step to take.
Internet Explorer: Go to Safety – Tools – “InPrivate Browsing”.
Firefox: Click the Menu button with three horizontal lines – “New Private Window”.
Chrome: Click the Menu button with three horizontal lines and select “New Incognito Window”.
Similar options can be found in Opera and Safari.
Deleting internet history
Internet browsers also keep a record of all the web pages you visit. This is known as a ‘history’.
To delete history for Internet Explorer and Firefox hold down the Ctrl key on the keyboard, then press the H key (Ctrl, Alt and H for Opera).
Chrome
On the top right, click the 3 dots. Click History. History. On the left, click Clear browsing data. From the drop-down menu, select how much history you want to delete.
Check the boxes for the info you want Chrome to clear, including “browsing history.” Click Clear data.
Internet Explorer / Microsoft Edge
Click on the Tools menu and select Internet Options. On the General page, under Temporary Internet Files, click on Delete Cookies and then OK. Click on Delete Files, put a tick in the box labelled Delete all offline content and click OK. Under History, click on Clear History and then OK. Now look at the top of the window and click on the Content tab, select AutoComplete and finally, Clear Forms.
Firefox
Click on Tools and then Options, and then click on Privacy. Click on the Clear button next to Cache and Saved Form Information.
Toolbars
Toolbars such as Google, AOL and Yahoo keep a record of the search words you have typed into the toolbar search box. In order to erase all the search words you have typed in, you will need to check the individual instructions for each type of toolbar. For example, for the Google toolbar, all you need to do is click on the Google icon, and choose “Clear Search History”.
Phone history
Depending on your phone, the phones operating system or app you are using, the history will be accessed in different ways. Search for your phone online and ways to clear the history or private surfing to find the specific settings for you.
Click on the links below for more in-depth guidance (off-site)
These steps can help reduce the risk of someone tracing your activity online, but there are other means of finding it, if you have the right technical knowledge. Consider using a computer in the safety of a local library, internet cafe, friends house or at work for extra safety.
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Read our Domestic Abuse policy
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You can apply for any of the following
Any of the agencies listed above can advise you of solicitors with experience in family law to help you apply for one of these.
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The 999 call system allows all 999 callers to access support if they are unable to speak during the call. It is important that either a noise is made or that 55 is pressed. For example, if you can only make noise, such as tapping the handset, coughing, crying or even talking to the offender, then these actions will alert the attention of the operator.
If you are supporting someone who is suffering with domestic abuse, speaking out is not always an option when someone is in real danger, so please encourage use of the 999 silent call. Please reassure service users that the Police Force and specially trained officers are always there for people.
More information on the silent solution. www.thamesvalley.police.uk/contact/how-to-make-a-silent-999-call/
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Freephone 24-Hour National Domestic Violence Helpline |
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Men’s Advice Line |
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National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans* (LGBT) Domestic Violence Helpline |
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England and Wales Rape Crisis helpline |
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Scotland Rape Crisis |
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The Rowan Sexual Assault Referral Centre for Northern Ireland |
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The Dash Charity Helpline |
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ManKind Initiative |
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SurvivorsUK – Support for Male Rape and Sexual Abuse |
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National Stalking Helpline |
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Karma Nirvana (Honour based abuse) |
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Paladin National Stalking Advocacy Service |
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Wales Live Fear Free Helpline |
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Abused Men In Scotland (AMIS) Helpline |
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National NSPCC FGM Helpline |
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Finding Legal Options for Women Survivors (FLOWS) |
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Revenge Porn Helpline |
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Scotland Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline |
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The National Centre for Domestic Violence (NCDV) |
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The Survivors Trust |
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Safeline England and Wales – The National Male Helpline for males. |
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Safeline – Young People |
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UK and Ireland – Stop it Now! Child sexual abuse prevention Helpline |
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NSPCC Helpline |
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Childline |
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