You do not have fewer legal rights to be protected from crime if the perpetrator is someone you know. There are civil and criminal remedies available to help you protect yourself.
If you do not wish to report to the police, you can ask a civil court to grant an injunction to protect you or your children, or to ensure you can stay safely in your property. These avoid criminal recourse, unless the perpetrator breaches the civil order, at which point you can report the breach to the police.
The criminal process begins when you report the abuse to the police. They investigate, gather evidence, and present it to the Crown Prosecution Service to establish whether it will be heard in court.
Under the new domestic abuse bill, your local council has a duty to help you access safe accommodation. Under Part 7 of the Housing Act, if it is not reasonable for you to continue to occupy your home due to domestic abuse, the local housing authority has a duty to provide you with certain services. More information can be found here.
Domestic abuse attempts to strip people of their human rights. As a minimum, regardless of your relationship, you are entitled to the rights detailed here.