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If you can't find what you are looking for please contact us on 01623 499200

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If you can't find what you are looking for please contact us on 01623 499200

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Read about the different types of eating disorders including anorexia nervosa, bulimia and binge eating, as well as what causes them and the treatments available.

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The Mix - Essential support for under 25s

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The Mix - Essential support for under 25s

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The Mix - Essential support for under 25s

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The Mix: 0808 808 4994 - Free information and support for under 25s in the UK. Get advice about sex, relationships, drugs, mental health, money & jobs.

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Domestic violence and abuse - Detailed guidance - GOV.UK

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Domestic violence and abuse - Detailed guidance - GOV.UK

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The household isolation instruction as a result of coronavirus does not apply if you need to leave your home to escape domestic abuse.

Domestic abuse in a relationship: recognise it

Anyone can be a victim of domestic abuse, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, socio-economic status, sexuality or background.

There are different kinds of abuse that can happen in different contexts. The most prevalent type of domestic abuse occurs in relationships. But the definition of domestic abuse also covers abuse between family members, such as adolescent to parent violence and abuse. You can read our guidance on adolescent to parent violence and abuse (APVA) (, 682KB, 35 pages).

For anyone who feels they are at risk of abuse, it is important to remember that there is help and support available to you, including police response, online support, helplines, refuges and other services.

If you answer yes to any of the following questions, you might be in an abusive relationship.

Emotional abuse

Does your partner, or former partner, ever:

belittle you, or put you down?

blame you for the abuse or arguments?

deny that abuse is happening, or play it down?

isolate you from your family and friends?

stop you going to college or work?

make unreasonable demands for your attention?

accuse you of flirting or having affairs?

tell you what to wear, who to see, where to go, and what to think?

control your money, or not give you enough to buy food or other essential things?

Threats and intimidation

Does your partner, or former partner, ever:

threaten to hurt or kill you?

destroy things that belong to you?

stand over you, invade your personal space?

threaten to kill themselves or the children?

read your emails, texts or letters?

harass or follow you?

Physical abuse

The person abusing you may hurt you in a number of ways.

Does your partner, or former partner, ever:

slap, hit or punch you?

push or shove you?

bite or kick you?

burn you?

choke you or hold you down?

throw things?

Sexual abuse

Sexual abuse can happen to anyone, whether they're male or female.

Does your partner, or former partner, ever:

touch you in a way you don't want to be touched?

make unwanted sexual demands?

hurt you during sex?

pressure you to have unsafe sex - for example, not using a condom?

pressure you to have sex?

If your partner, or former partner, has sex with you when you don't want to, this is rape.

Have you ever felt afraid of your partner or former partner?

Have you ever changed your behaviour because you're afraid of what your partner, or former partner, might do?

If you think you may be in an abusive relationship, there is help available.

Report it

If you, or someone you know, is a victim of domestic abuse find out how to report domestic abuse.

If you are in immediate danger, call 999 and ask for the police.

If you are in danger and unable to talk on the phone, call 999 and listen to the questions from the operator and if possible, respond by coughing or tapping the head set.

Call 999 from a mobile

If prompted, press 55 to Make Yourself Heard and this will transfer your call to the police.

Pressing 55 only works on mobiles and does not allow police to track your location.

Call 999 from a landline

If only background noise can be heard and operators cannot decide whether an emergency service is needed, then you will be connected to a police call handler.

If you replace the handset, the landline may remain connected for 45 seconds in case you pick up again.

When 999 calls are made from landlines, information about your location should be automatically available to the call handlers to help provide a response.

If you are deaf or can't verbally communicate

You can register with the emergencySMS service. Text REGISTER to 999. You will get a text which tells you what to do next. Do this when it is safe so you can text when you are in danger.

Get help if you, or someone you know, is a victim

We publish a list of organisations you can speak to for support.

National Domestic Abuse Helpline

The National Domestic Abuse Helpline is run by Refuge and offers free, confidential support 24 hours a day to victims and those who are worried about friends and loved ones.

Telephone and TypeTalk: 0808 2000 247

Wales Live Fear Free Helpline

The Wales Live Fear Free Helpline offers help and advice about violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence.

Telephone: 0808 8010 800

TypeTalk: 18001 080 8801

Text: 078600 77 333

The Men's Advice Line

The Men's Advice Line is a confidential helpline for male victims of domestic abuse and those supporting them.

Telephone: 0808 801 0327

Email: info@mensadviceline.org.uk

Galop - for members of the LGBT+ community

Galop runs the National LGBT+ domestic abuse helpline.

Telephone: 0800 999 5428

TypeTalk: 18001 020 7704 2040

Email: help@galop.org.uk

Women's Aid

Women's Aid has a live chat service available Mondays to Fridays between 10am and 12pm as well as an online survivor's forum. You can also find your local domestic abuse service on their website.

The Survivor's Handbook, created by Women's Aid, provides information on housing, money, helping your children and your legal rights.

Karma Nirvana

Karma Nirvana runs a national honour-based abuse and forced marriage helpline. If you are unable to call or email, you can send a message securely on the website.

Telephone: 0800 5999 247

Email: support@karmanirvana.org.uk

Hestia

Hestia provides a free mobile app, Bright Sky, which provides support and information to anyone who may be in an abusive relationship or those concerned about someone they know.

Chayn

Chayn provides online help and resources in a number of languages about identifying manipulative situations and how friends can support those being abused.

Imkaan

Imkaan are a women's organisation addressing violence against black and minority women and girls.

Southall Black Sisters

Southall Black Sisters offer advocacy and information to Asian and Afro-Caribbean women suffering abuse.

Stay Safe East

Stay Safe East provides advocacy and support services to disabled victims and survivors of abuse.

Telephone: 020 8519 7241

Text: 07587 134 122

Email: enquiries@staysafe-east.org.uk

SignHealth

SignHealth provides domestic abuse service support for deaf people in British Sign Language (BSL).

Telephone: 020 3947 2601

Text/WhatsApp/Facetime: 07970 350366

Email: da@signhealth.org.uk

Shelter

Shelter provide free confidential information, support and legal advice on all housing and homelessness issues including a webchat service.

Sexual Assault Referral Centres

Sexual Assault Referral Centres provide advice and support services to victims and survivors of sexual assault or abuse.

Get help if you think you may be an abuser

If you are concerned that you or someone you know may be an abuser, there is support available.

Respect is an anonymous and confidential helpline for men and women who are harming their partners and families. The helpline also takes calls from partners or ex-partners, friends and relatives who are concerned about perpetrators. A webchat service is available Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10am to 11am and from 3pm to 4pm.

Telephone: 0808 802 4040

Get help for children and young people

NSPCC

The NSPCC helpline is available for advice and support for anyone with concerns about a child.

The NSPCC has issued guidance for spotting and reporting the signs of abuse.

Telephone: 0808 800 5000

Email: help@nspcc.org.uk

If you are deaf or hard of hearing, you can contact the NSPCC via SignVideo using your webcam. SignVideo, using British Sign Language, is available on PC, Mac, iOS (iPhone/iPad) and Android smartphones (4.2 or above). This service is available Monday to Friday from 8am to 8pm and Saturdays from 8am to 1pm.

Childline

Childline provides help and support to children and young people.

Telephone: 0800 1111

Barnardo's

Barnardo's provide support to families affected by domestic abuse.

Family Lives

Family Lives provide support through online forums.

Support for employers

Employers' Initiative on Domestic Abuse

The Employers' Initiative on Domestic Abuse website provides resources to support employers including an employers' toolkit.

Support for professionals

SafeLives provides guidance and support to professionals and those working in the domestic abuse sector, as well as additional advice for those at risk.

Support a friend if they're being abused

If you're worried a friend is being abused, let them know you've noticed something is wrong.

Neighbours and community members can be a life-line for those living with domestic abuse. Look out for your neighbours, if someone reaches out to you there is advice on this page about how to respond. They might not be ready to talk, but try to find quiet times when they can talk if they choose to.

If someone confides in you that they're suffering domestic abuse:

listen, and take care not to blame them

acknowledge it takes strength to talk to someone about experiencing abuse

give them time to talk, but don't push them to talk if they don't want to

acknowledge they're in a frightening and difficult situation

tell them nobody deserves to be threatened or beaten, despite what the abuser has said

support them as a friend - encourage them to express their feelings, and allow them to make their own decisions

don't tell them to leave the relationship if they're not ready - that's their decision

ask if they have suffered physical harm - if so, offer to go with them to a hospital or GP

help them report the assault to the police if they choose to

be ready to provide information on organisations that offer help for people experiencing domestic abuse

If you are worried that a friend, neighbour or loved one is a victim of domestic abuse then you can call the National Domestic Abuse Helpline for free and confidential advice, 24 hours a day on 0808 2000 247.

If you believe there is an immediate risk of harm to someone, or it is an emergency, you should always call 999.

Women's Aid has a list of useful links for websites and organisations providing relevant information and support.

Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (also known as 'Clare's Law')

Under this scheme you can ask the police to check whether a new, former or existing partner has a violent past. This is called 'right to ask'. If records show that you may be at risk of domestic abuse from a partner, the police will consider disclosing the information. A disclosure can be made if it is legal, proportionate and necessary to do so.

The 'right to ask' also enables a third party, such as a friend or family member, to apply for a disclosure on behalf of someone they know. Again, the police can release information if it is lawful, necessary and proportionate to do so.

In order to make an application under the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme please contact the police. You can do this by:

visiting a police station (the household isolation instruction as a result of coronavirus does not apply if you need to leave your home to escape domestic abuse)

phoning 101

speaking to a member of the police on the street

If you believe there is an immediate risk of harm to someone, or it is an emergency, you should always call 999.

Read more information in the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme guidance.

If you don't have settled status in the UK

Apply for settlement in your own right

If your relationship with a British citizen or someone settled in the UK has broken down because of domestic abuse you may be able to apply for settlement as a victim of domestic violence.

In light of this, the government offers the Destitute Domestic Violence concession, which provides help to victims of domestic abuse who are in a relationship in which they are financially dependent on an abusive partner, who have been admitted to the UK with leave as spouses, unmarried partners, same-sex partners or civil partners of a British citizen or a person settled in the UK.

Apply for access to benefits

The Destitution Domestic Violence concession offers domestic abuse victims 3 months' leave outside the immigration rules with the ability to apply for access to public funds. This provides the opportunity to gain a temporary immigration status independent of the abuser and to fund safe accommodation, where victims of domestic abuse may consider applying for indefinite leave to remain or deciding to return to their country of origin.

More support materials

Help is available for those experiencing domestic abuse from the Department of Work and Pensions. This includes housing benefit, Employment and Support Allowance, a break from job seeking and Universal Credit adjustments.

Read information and practice guidelines for professionals protecting, advising and supporting victims of forced marriage.

Read the leaflet the Home Office developed with Southall Black Sisters aimed at women in black and minority ethnic communities: Three steps to escaping domestic violence.

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The household isolation instruction as a result of coronavirus does not apply if you need to leave your home to escape domestic abuse. Anyone can be a victim of domestic abuse, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, socio-economic status, sexuality or background. There are different kinds of abuse that can happen in different contexts.

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Child & Adolescent Mental Health - YoungMinds

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Child & Adolescent Mental Health - YoungMinds

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YoungMinds | Mental Health Charity For Children And Young People

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YoungMinds are a mental health charity for children, young people and their parents, making sure all young people can get the mental health support they need.

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Counselling and psychotherapy | BACP It's Good to Talk

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Counselling and psychotherapy | BACP It's Good to Talk

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British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy

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Welcome to the Home Page of DrugWise. The mission of DrugWise follows very much in the tradition of DrugScope - and for those of you with long memories, its predecessor - the Institute for the Study of Drug Dependence - that is to provide drug information which is topical, evidence-based and non-judgemental - and to promote this through media work, public speaking and lecturing.
Please note that the old DrugScope website has been resurrected at the old DrugScope domain name. DrugScope no longer exists, having been formally wound up in 2015. This action has been reported to the Charity Commission and Action on Fraud and the site content should be removed imminently. Thank you
As well as updating our drug information and writing new reports, we provide a full range of DrugScope archival materials and all Druglink articles back to 1986.

DrugWise also has an international dimension which is not restricted to drugs, but includes alcohol and tobacco where the advent of e-cigarettes is causing as much controversy as that surrounding the conflicting views on drug policy and practice.

There are many robust international and internationally-relevant national reports and reviews in all these areas. The problem is that they are not all in one place. So we have created I-Know, the international knowledge hub which will build up a library of information, policy and practice material stored on our server so that they will always be available. Please contact us if you come across reports that you think should be listed.

Meet the team

DrugWise Director, Harry Shapiro has worked in the drugs field for over 35 years, most recently as Director of Communications for DrugScope. He was DrugScope's main media spokesperson, managing editor of Druglink and has written extensively on all aspects of drugs and drug-related issues combining this with lecturing, public speaking and advisory work for government. He remains the managing editor of DS Daily.

DrugWise Deputy Director, Jackie Buckle is an award-winning web designer who also worked for ISDD and DrugScope for many years, first in the library and then developing the online presence of both charities. She is also the editor of DS Daily and responsible for its day to day running.

Our funder

The BRIT Trust is the charitable arm of the BPI (British Phonographic Industry) representing UK record labels. Over the years, the Trust has awarded over £20m raised mainly through The BRIT Awards and other music fundraising events, such as The Music Industry Trust Dinner, to a range of charities that promote education and wellbeing through music. The notably include The BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in Croydon and Nordoff Robbins music therapy. The BRIT School is a free school that majors on giving young people the chance to progress in music, film & TV and across other creative industries. Adele, Katie Melua and Leona Lewis, and most recently Mercury Prize shortlisted acts Loyle Carner and Kate Tempest are just some of the artists to have benefitted from their time at the school.

But many other charities have reason to be grateful to the Trust, not least DrugWise, which has enjoyed the Trust's support right back to the late 1990s when we were the Institute for the Study of Drug Dependence. We are proud to have the Trust as part of our team.

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Welcome to the Home Page of DrugWise. The mission of DrugWise follows very much in the tradition of DrugScope - and for those of you with long memories, its predecessor - the Institute for the Study of Drug Dependence - that is to provide drug information which is topical, evidence-based and non-judgemental - and to promote this through media work, public speaking and lecturing.

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Alcohol Concern: The national charity working on alcohol issues

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Alcohol Concern: The national charity working on alcohol issues