Challenging the myth that Domestic Abuse only happens to certain people.

This blog marks the start of our monthly Myth Busters series. Each month, we will be challenging common myths about domestic abuse and sharing the realities behind them. These posts will sit alongside our Myths and Truths discussions on Wellbeing Wednesday, which airs on Nevis Radio on the last Wednesday of every month.

These myths matter because they shape how domestic abuse is understood. They influence whether abuse is recognised, how women make sense of their own experiences, and whether they feel able to ask for help.

Myth 1: Domestic abuse only happens to certain people

One of the most persistent myths is that domestic abuse only affects a particular type of woman. Someone vulnerable. Someone with fewer resources. Someone who is visibly struggling. This belief is simply not true.

Domestic abuse can happen to anyone. It affects women of all ages, backgrounds, incomes, and communities. It happens to women who are working, educated, confident, and outwardly coping. It happens in villages and towns, in rented homes and owned ones, in relationships that look ordinary from the outside.

Abuse is not caused by who someone is. It is caused by someone choosing to exert power and control.

This myth can stop women recognising abuse when it happens to them. Many women tell us they did not seek support sooner because they thought, this cannot be abuse. That is not me. Abuse often does not start with violence. It can look like control, isolation, constant criticism, or financial pressure, slowly wearing away confidence and independence over time.

Abuse does not discriminate. Support should not depend on fitting a stereotype.

We will continue to explore and challenge these myths each month, because understanding the reality of domestic abuse matters.