Domestic Abuse and Civil Proceedings Act (Northern Ireland) 2021

What amounts to abusive behaviour

2.—(1) This section contains provision for determining for the purposes of this Chapter when behaviour of a person (“A”) is abusive of another person (“B”).

(2) Behaviour that is abusive of B includes (in particular)—

(a) behaviour directed at B that is violent,

(b) behaviour directed at B that is threatening,

(c) behaviour directed at B, at a child of B or at someone else that—

(i) has as its purpose (or among its purposes) one or more of the relevant effects, or

(ii) would be considered by a reasonable person to be likely to have one or more of the relevant effects.

(3) The relevant effects are of—

(a) making B dependent on, or subordinate to, A,

(b) isolating B from friends, family members or other sources of social interaction or support,

(c) controlling, regulating or monitoring B’s day-to-day activities,

(d) depriving B of, or restricting B’s, freedom of action,

(e) making B feel frightened, humiliated, degraded, punished or intimidated.

(4) In subsection (2)—

(a) the reference in paragraph (a) to violent behaviour includes both sexual violence and physical violence,

(b) in paragraph (c), “child” means a person under 18 years of age.

(5) None of the paragraphs of subsection (2) or (as the case may be) (3) is to be taken to limit the meaning of any of the other paragraphs of that subsection.