This briefing was prepared by Barnardo’s Scotland and NSPCC Scotland ahead of the third stage of the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Bill, in strong support for the Bill.
The proposed offence of abusive behaviour towards a partner or ex-partner is a vital step forward in holding perpetrators of abuse to account for the full range of their behaviours, including emotional, physical, financial and sexual abuse. As such the proposed offence is also key to recognizing the lived experience of those affected by domestic abuse.
We warmly welcome the recognition in the Bill that women and children experience domestic abuse together. The inclusion of an aggravation in relation to a child is a crucial development in making the harm experienced by children through domestic abuse of a partner or ex-partner visible. We were very pleased to see the Bill amended at stage 2 to ensure that the aggravator is able to capture the range of ways in which a child is adversely affected by domestic abuse. The Bill also made important progress at stage 2 by enabling children to be protected by Non-harassment Orders in cases of domestic abuse.