Background

The domestic abuse charity Women’s Aid describes a healthy relationship as one which is “a loving, respectful place with values like support, freedom, happiness and consent at the centre.”

Similarly, LiveSafe, a community organisation in Leicestershire, states that a healthy relationship involves “respect, trust, good communication & space and boundaries.”

NHS England state that evidence shows that “having good-quality relationships can help us to live longer and happier lives with fewer mental health problems” with “a lack of good relationships and long-term feelings of loneliness […] associated with higher rates of mortality, poor physical health outcomes and lower life satisfaction.”

Policy areas

Domestic abuse

Section 1 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 sets out a statutory definition of domestic abuse:

Behaviour of a person (“A”) towards another person (“B”) is “domestic abuse” if—

(a) A and B are each aged 16 or over and are personally connected to each other, and

(b) the behaviour is abusive.

The definition of “personally connected” is set out in section 2 of the 2021 act and covers a range of intimate and familial relationships. 

Under section 3 of the act, children are recognised as victims of domestic abuse if they see or hear, or experience the effects of, abusive behaviour falling within the above definition and they are related to person A or B (for example, if a child witnesses domestic abuse perpetrated by one parent against the other).

When the definition was introduced, the government said its aim was “to ensure that domestic abuse is properly understood, considered unacceptable and actively challenged across statutory agencies and in public attitudes”. For example, the definition is used by the police and the Crown Prosecution Service to identify which cases to ‘flag’ as domestic abuse cases.

The government is currently reviewing whether the age limit in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 should be extended to also cover teenage relationship abuse involving under 16s. Background information is available in the Library’s How does the definition of domestic abuse apply to under 16s? briefing.

The Home Office has issued statutory guidance to support relevant organisations (such as the police and local authorities) in responding to domestic abuse.

Family-related employment rights

The key provisions relating to family-related employment rights in the Employment Rights Act 2025 are:

  • Making existing entitlements to paternity leave and unpaid parental leave available from ‘day 1’ of employment. This measure will come into force on 6 April 2026.
  • New right to unpaid bereavement leave, including for pregnancy loss before 24 weeks. This measure will come into force in 2027.
  • Enhanced protections against dismissal for pregnant women, mothers on maternity leave and mothers for at least six months after they return to work – except in specific circumstances. This measure will come into force in 2027.
  • Clearer process for employers to follow when a flexible working request cannot be agreed, requiring employers to explain their rationale for denying a request and adding the requirement that a rejection of a request be reasonable. This measure will come into force in 2027.

Additionally, the draft Bereaved Partner’s Paternity Leave Regulations 2026 were laid before Parliament on 13 January 2026. The regulations set out a new right to bereaved partner’s paternity leave. The regulations will enable bereaved fathers and partners to take up to 52 weeks of paternity leave if the mother or primary adopter dies within the first year of the child’s life. This measure will come into force on 6 April 2026.

The government is currently reviewing parental leave and pay as well as employment rights for unpaid carers with findings expected by early 2027.

Commons Library research briefings
Committee material
Government material

Relationships Education in English Schools

Relationships education in primary schools, and relationships and sex education in secondary schools, has been required to be taught in all schools in England since September 2020. Statutory guidance is in place on what must be taught.

The statutory guidance sets out that, at primary level, relationships education should focus on teaching “the fundamental building blocks and characteristics of positive relationships,” and that at secondary level the aim “is to give young people the information they need to help them develop healthy, nurturing relationships of all kinds, not just intimate relationships.” Children may be withdrawn from sex education lessons, but this does not apply to relationships education.

Following a consultation, revised statutory guidance will come into effect from 1 September 2026. The announcement of the new guidance highlighted an increased focus on challenging misogyny, as well as additional content on sexual ethics, staying safe in public spaces, and financial exploitation.

More detail on the requirements for schools is included in the following Library briefings:

Violence against women and girls strategy

In December 2025, the government published its new violence against women and girls (VAWG) strategy, Freedom from violence and abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls, together with an action plan, an evidence summary and an explanatory note on boys and men.

The strategy says the government will take a “whole of society approach” to tackling VAWG, including by:

  • prioritising prevention and tackling the root causes of VAWG,
  • relentlessly pursuing perpetrators, and
  • supporting victims and survivors of violence and abuse.

The strategy outlines how the government will promote healthy relationships, including by:

  • supporting schools to challenge misogyny,
  • ensuring every child understands consent and healthy relationships, while equipping parents and teachers to intervene early and guide young people to act with empathy, respect and kindness to others,
  • a new focus on developing skills for healthy relationshipsthrough the overhauled Relationships, Sex, and Health Education (RSHE) curriculum,
  • increasing young people’s access to meaningful, real-world connections within their communities,
  • providing £5 million to pilot healthy relationships training in schools delivered by external providers, and
  • exploring the most effective route to make Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) mandatory for young people under 18 in further education colleges.

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