Domestic Abuse in England and Wales

Abstract

Domestic abuse is an internationally recognised form of criminal behaviour but one that goes by many different labels and has more than one notional definition. This book seeks to identify what facts might be unearthed from data mining but as with any form of serious analytical work, it is firstly important to define the topic with some precision. We do this in this chapter in multiple segments. Firstly, we cover how `domestic abuse' as it is known in England and Wales, is defined by government agencies. This definition sets important context for the analysis that follows in later chapters and we would recommend anyone seeking to replicate these analyses considers these elements before embarking on the task.