Here's some information about non violent domestic abuse...it IS recognised.
Domestic abuse is defined as: Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over, who are, or have been intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality.
The abuse can encompass but is not limited to the following types of abuse:
Psychological
Physical
Sexual
Financial and or
Emotional
Coercive and controlling behaviour became an offence in December 2015 and gives powers to the authorities to bring prosecutions for psychological abuse, closing the gap in the law around patterns of such behaviour.
The offence carries a maximum 5 year prison sentence and a fine.
Controlling acts may include, but not be exclusive to, manipulation, intimidation, sexual coercion and psychological abuse. The behaviour is intended to make a person become submissive, or to isolate them from sources of support, such as their friends and family. It might include monitoring their time, or communication with others, including checking someone’s mobile phone or online communication.
It could also be exploiting their resources, such as their wages or access to money, depriving them of their independence and trying to regulate or control every day behaviour such as where they can go, who they can see and what to wear.
It may be stopping someone accessing specialist support services, repeatedly putting them down, humiliating or degrading them and making threats to hurt them or their children, or publish private information about them.
Something that may seem like harmless behaviour in isolation, can have devastating effects on a victim when they are subjected to repeated controlling behaviour. We would encourage people to speak to someone about any behaviour that is concerning them, all reports will be treated sensitively and taken seriously.