New domestic abuse guidelines
The Home Office is bringing in new guidelines for domestic abuse cases to include non-violent coercion, such as preventing someone from leaving the house.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said the changes would "help expose the true face of domestic violence, which is much more complex and much more widespread than people often realise".
The new definition will be implemented by March 2013 and follows a 15-week consultation which took views from the public, victims, charities and frontline agencies.
Coercive behaviour is described as "an act or a pattern of acts of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation or other abuse that is used to harm, punish, or frighten their victim".
The Government also announced today a Young People’s Panel set up by the NSPCC which will help inform the Government’s work to tackle domestic violence.