{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/domestic-abuse-protection-scotland-act-2021/section-3",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/domestic-abuse-protection-scotland-act-2021/section-3.json",
  "legislation": "asp/2021/16",
  "legislation_title": "Domestic Abuse (Protection) (Scotland) Act 2021",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/domestic-abuse-protection-scotland-act-2021",
  "path": "section/3",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "3",
  "heading": "What constitutes abusive behaviour",
  "text": "(1) Subsections (2) to (4) elaborate on when behaviour by person A is abusive of person B.\n(2) Behaviour which is abusive of person B includes (in particular)—\n(a) behaviour directed at person B that is violent, threatening or intimidating,\n(b) behaviour directed at person B, at a child of person B or at another person that either—\n(i) has as its purpose (or among its purposes) one or more of the relevant effects set out in subsection (3), or\n(ii) would be considered by a reasonable person to be likely to have one or more of the relevant effects set out in subsection (3).\n(3) The relevant effects are of—\n(a) making person B dependent on, or subordinate to, person A,\n(b) isolating person B from friends, relatives or other sources of support,\n(c) controlling, regulating or monitoring person B's day-to-day activities,\n(d) depriving person B of, or restricting person B's, freedom of action,\n(e) frightening, humiliating, degrading or punishing person B.\n(4) In subsection (2)(a), the reference to violent behaviour includes sexual violence as well as physical violence.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 3 in force at 1.8.2026 for specified purposes by S.S.I. 2025/400, reg. 2(a)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2021/16/section/3",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T20:12:29.724850+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}