Domestic abuse
Domestic abuse can happen to anyone and your safety is our priority. Any information you give us is confidential unless we are legally required to report it. We will never tell the person responsible you spoke to us.
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BBC WeatherReporting domestic abuse
We deal with all claims confidentially and as a priority.
To report domestic abuse, you can:
- call us on 0191 525 5000 and select option 4 or 0800 028 4445
- fill in the report domestic abuse form
- visit your local office
If you need urgent support or are in an emergency, you can call:
- the police on 999 or 101
- register with emergencySMS so you can send text messages to the police
- Wearside Women in Need on 0800 066 5555
- ManKind on 01823 334 244
You can also call 0808 2000 247 to speak to the National Domestic Violence Helpline.
Ways we can help
When you report domestic abuse to us, we will:
- act quickly and compassionately
- put your safety first
- make sure you are not in danger
- offer you support and advice
- talk with you about your options and what you want to do next
- work with other organisations to get you the support you need
Find out more about the different types of help and support we provide.
Behaviour classed as domestic abuse
Domestic abuse is an incident or pattern of incidents where someone’s behaviour is:
- abusive
- coercive and controlling, including forced marriage, and being isolated from family and friends
- threatening
- violent
The abuse can be from family members or partners and could be:
- controlling
- emotional
- financial
- physical
- psychological
- sexual