The law defines domestic abuse as abusive behavior by one person towards another, where both people are aged 16 or over, meaning the current definition under the Domestic Abuse Act does not capture the under-16s experiencing abuse in their relationships, according to Louisa Rolfe, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for domestic abuse. Cases of abuse are growing fastest among teenagers, police said, with young people aged 16 to 19 and 20 to 24 representing a larger share of those experiencing domestic abuse than any other age group, Office for National Statistics data shows. Nearly a fifth of girls aged 16-19 are estimated to have experienced domestic abuse.
The government is currently scoping a review into the legal framework of domestic abuse to ensure it captures the experience of adolescents, which includes reviewing the age limit. A Youth Endowment Fund survey found that nearly half of all children between the ages of 13 and 17 who had been in a relationship had experienced violent or controlling behavior, and among those in relationships, 28% of 13 to 15 year olds say they’ve been hit, kicked or shoved, compared to 12% of 16 to 17 year olds. Of the 842 victims who received support from Refuge last year, 73% were affected by psychological abuse, and six in 10 said they had experienced coercive control.
The current definition struggles to account for the digital age and cases of abuse within online relationships, Helen Millichap, the national policing lead for violence against women and girls, noted.