What is Abuse?
At the heart of all domestic violence and abuse is a desire to gain power and control over the other person. Abusive behaviours can take many forms and often escalate over time.
Can you answer yes to some of these questions?
Our 24-hour helpline is 1800 46 46 46. Our team in Navan is here to listen and support you, day or night.
Does your partner:
Stop you from leaving your home?
Become unhappy when you see your friends and family?
Shout and frighten you?
Make threats to hurt you, your children, family or pets?
Destroy your belongings or property?
Does your partner:
Control all the household money?
Cut you off from bank accounts?
Sabotage your job or prevent you from going to work?
Monitor your phone and online activity; open your post and emails?
Does your partner:
Use force, threats, or intimidation to make you perform sexual acts?
Make you feel guilty for not having sex?
Have control of your contraception?
Make you watch pornography or force you to participate in making porn?
Share, or threaten to share, intimate images online or with friends, family or colleagues?
Rape you?
Does your partner:
Punch or slap you?
Use weapons, such as knives or hammers against you?
Use household items as weapons e.g. throwing a phone at you?
Bite you?
Pinch you?
Kick you?
Pull your hair?
Push or shove you?
Burn you?
Strangle or choke you?
Our 24-hour helpline is 1800 46 46 46. Our team in Navan is here to listen and support you, day or night.
Violence Against Women in Ireland
Research* in Ireland shows that 1 in 4 women who have been in a relationship in Ireland have been abused by a current or former partner.
The survey results indicate that:
4% of women were being physically and sexually abused by their current partner/spouse
11% had been physically or sexually abused by a former partner/spouse
37% experienced psychological abuse by a former partner/spouse
41% of women knew a woman in their family and friendship circle who was being abused
49% of women had seen an awareness campaign on domestic violence, 49% had not
* Figures from gender-based violence in Ireland (EU Fundamental Rights Agency [FRA] survey, 2015) where 1,567 women were interviewed in Ireland for this survey.
Domestic Violence and Gender
Domestic violence and abuse can affect anyone and every victim deserves access to appropriate support. However, evidence shows it is overwhelmingly experienced by women and perpetrated by men. Women are more likely to experience repeated abuse, coercive control, sexual violence and serious injury. In Ireland, 1 in 4 women who have been in a relationship have experienced abuse by a partner, and women make up the majority of victims of sexual violence. Because of this gendered reality, our refuge and support services are designed to provide safe, specialist support for women and their children, who are most often affected by domestic violence and abuse.
(CSO, Recorded Crime Statistics, 2023)
(Fundamental Human Rights research, 2015)
(National Crime Council and ESRI, 2005)
For more information on domestic violence and abuse in Ireland, visit
