Survivor hub › Understanding abuse
Understanding abuse
Abuse takes many forms. It can happen once or over many years, recently or long ago, and from someone you know or a stranger. Whatever happened to you, it was not your fault.
Types of abuse
You don’t have to put a name to what happened to you before you look for support. The different types of abuse below are only a starting point, and many people’s experiences fit more than one. Some kinds of abuse, such as domestic abuse, also have a legal definition, and the law is different in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Each guide explains where that matters.
Domestic abuse
Abuse by a partner, an ex-partner or a family member. It can be violence, but it can also be controlling what you do, who you see or what money you have, threats, or constantly putting you down.
Read the guide →Rape and sexual abuse
Any sexual act you didn’t agree to, or weren’t able to agree to. It can be done by a stranger, someone you know, or a partner, and it can happen once or many times.
Read the guide →Abuse in childhood
Abuse that happened when you were a child, whether it was last year or decades ago. Many people don’t talk about it until much later in life, and that’s okay.
Support if you were abused as a child
Read the guide →Abuse by people trusted to care for you
Abuse in a children’s home or foster care, at school, in a religious setting, or in a club or team: by the people who were meant to keep you safe.
Support if you grew up in care · Support for abuse in faith settings
Read the guide →Online abuse
Abuse through phones, apps and the internet, such as threats, harassment, being watched, or someone sharing, or threatening to share, intimate images of you.
Read the guide →Exploitation and trafficking
Being controlled, tricked or forced into work, crime or sex for someone else’s gain. It happens in the UK as well as abroad, and it can happen to anyone.
Support for exploitation and modern slavery
Read the guide →There is also specialist support for stalking, honour-based abuse and forced marriage, and economic abuse, where someone controls your money or the things you need to live.
It was not your fault
Nothing you did, said or wore caused the abuse. That’s true whatever your relationship with the person, however long it went on, and whether or not you told anyone at the time. Responsibility lies with the person who abused you.
If you’re not sure whether it was abuse
You don’t need to be sure to talk to someone. These organisations will listen, without judging, and help you think it through.
Victim Support
For: England and Wales
Supportline
0808 168 9111
free, 24 hours a day, every day; live chat too
Call Victim SupportWebsite: Victim Support
Checked 7 Oct 2026
Samaritans
Our Support Directory lists many more, including lines for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Worried about someone else? Read if someone you know has been abused.
How abuse can affect you
Abuse can affect how you feel, sleep, trust people and get through the day, sometimes many years later. These reactions are common, and support can help.
Your options
If you want to, you can find out about compensation, civil claims, redress schemes and reporting to the police in Your options. There’s no pressure to do any of it.
This page gives information, not legal or medical advice.