What Is Domestic Violence?

Domestic violence cuts across all boundaries of culture, education, ethnicity, religion, income and age.

Do You Know Someone Who?

• Feels unsafe in her/his own home?
• Is forced to have sex?
• Is kept from seeing friends or relatives?
• Has been threatened by her/his partner?
• Has children or pets that have been threatened?
• Is afraid of her/his partner?
• Is frightened of her/his partner’s temper?
• Feels isolated, alone, and afraid?
• Feels she/he has nowhere else to go?

If the answer to one or more of these statements is yes, she/he is in a domestic violence situation and deserves better!

What is Domestic Violence?

Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behavior used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner. Domestic violence can be physical, sexual, emotional, economic, or psychological actions, or threats of actions that influence another person. This includes any behaviors that intimidate, manipulate, humiliate, isolate, frighten, terrorize, coerce, threaten, blame, hurt, injure, or wound someone.

TYPES OF ABUSE

Physical Abuse

Hitting, punching, pulling, slapping, striking with an object, kicking, strangling, biting, etc., are types of physical abuse. This includes preventing you from calling police and/or seeking medical attention.

Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse is coercing or attempting to coerce any sexual contact or behavior without consent. Sexual abuse includes, but is certainly not limited to, marital rape, attacks on sexual parts of the body, forcing sex after physical violence has occurred, treating one in a sexually demeaning manner, and controlling reproduction by sabotaging methods of birth control.

Emotional Abuse

Undermining an individual’s sense of self-worth and/or self-esteem is abusive. This may include, but is not limited to, constant criticism, diminishing one’s abilities, name-calling, or damaging one’s relationship with his or her children.

Economical Abuse

Making or attempting to make an individual financially dependent by maintaining total control over financial resources, withholding one’s access to money, or forbidding one’s attendance at school or employment.

Psychological Abuse

Elements of psychological abuse include, but are not limited to, causing fear by intimidation; threatening physical harm to self, partner, children, or partner’s family or friends; destruction of pets and property; or forcing isolation from family, friends, or school, and/or work.

Sources: National Domestic Violence Hotline, National Center for Victims of Crime, and WomensLaw.org.