The change in the Home Office (non-statutory) definition of domestic violence and abuse in March 2013 to include 16– 17 year olds began to shift the attention towards young people, and towards a pattern of abusive behaviour. The key focus of the changes implemented was to include young people as potential survivors of domestic violence and abuse, and to include coercive control as part of the definition in order to assist us to acknowledge the trends in abusive behaviour patterns. Shifting the emphasis on to coercive behaviour concentrates on a pattern of behaviour, power and control, rather than maintaining a focus on a singular incident, which aims to foster a progressive understanding of GBV.

The Serious Crime Act 2015 (Section 76) outlined a new offence of controlling or coercive behaviour, demonstrated as part of an intimate or familial relationship, which carries a maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment, a fine or both. The new offence closed a gap in the law around patterns of controlling or coercive behaviour in an ongoing relationship between intimate partners or family members. The adoption of the Istanbul Convention (2011) and the publication of the landmark UK Domestic Abuse Act (2021) also signals developments in the right direction, with the responsibilities of all member states who have ratified the Istanbul Convention to adhere to the four key pillars of prevention, protection, prosecution and coordinated policies. While the UK may comply with key aspects of the Istanbul Convention, the Convention remains unratified in the country. As a result, there is no legal requirement to comply with the minimum standards, with no firm date to ratify this international agreement on the horizon in the UK. This omission can be linked to the significant delay in implementing the Domestic Abuse Bill, which was years in the making.

The discussion within this chapter will begin to explore key differences in the nature, patterns and visibility of abuse in young intimate relationships, in comparison with adult intimate relationships.

Naming and defining the issue

On a global perspective, women are regarded as the group most at risk of suffering abuse (Watts and Zimmerman, 2002). Defining, conceptualising and deconstructing the abuse and violence suffered by women within their intimate relationships has historically been complex.