| MYTH |
TRUTH |
| (1) Alcohol and drugs are causes of domestic
abuse |
Perpetrators are |
| (2) Some people deserve it |
No one does |
| (3) If it was that bad, they would just
leave |
There are many reasons why people don't including
fear, guilt, shame, love & hope |
| (4) If it's not physical, it's not domestic
abuse |
Domestic abuse can be verbal, emotional,
controlling, coercive, degrading, psychological, financial and
sexual, as well as violent |
| (5) What goes on behind closed doors should
stay there |
Domestic abuse is a criminal act and people must speak
out for it to stop |
| (6) It must have just been a 'domestic', every
couple argues |
It is never okay for an argument to escalate to
violence or emotional abuse |
| (7) Just as many men experience domestic abuse
as women |
Domestic abuse is a gendered crime.
Statistically, more cases of domestic abuse are experienced by
women and committed by men. |
| (8) Perpetrators are always nasty, violent men
who are easy to spot |
Most perpetrators live a seemingly normal life and are
skilled at hiding their behaviour from those on the outside
including friends, family and work colleagues |
| (9) Just because he abuses his partner doesn't
mean he's a bad father |
Children who witness or experience domestic abuse can
be traumatised long-term and are also victims of child
abuse |
| (10) People who experience domestic abuse are
sometimes to blame |
Survivors of domestic abuse are never to blame, the
perpetrator must always be held responsible. |
| (11) Children who live with domestic abuse
grow up to be victims or abusers |
Growing up in an abusive home can be a risk factor but
many of these children grow up to be repelled by violence as they
have seen first-hand how traumatic it can be. Childhood experiences
cannot be used as excuses by perpetrators |
| (12) Domestic abuse is just a temporary loss
of temper |
Domestic abuse is not related to anger management or
temper, it is about sustained control |
| (13) Domestic abuse happens more in some
cultures and communities than others |
Domestic abuse can happen to anyone regardless of race,
religion, education or how much money you have |
| (14) Perpetrators must be mentally ill |
Research has shown that the proportion of those with a
mental illness is no higher than society as a whole |
| (15) Adults can hide domestic abuse from
children |
Even if a child doesn't see violence or abuse, they can
still hear shouting and notice an upset parents or physical
injuries. Children and young people will experience the domestic
abuse too |