What is Domestic Violence?
Domestic Violence is a pattern of assaultive and coercive behaviors, including physical, sexual, and psychological attacks, as well as economic coercion, that adults or adolescents use against their intimate partners for the purpose of gaining power and control over them.
Domestic violence is lethal, common, and affects people of all cultures, religions, ages, sexual orientations, educational backgrounds and income levels.
Domestic Violence is a crime and can include the following types of abuse:
- Physical Abuse: The abuser’s physical attacks or aggressive behavior can range from bruising to murder. It often begins with what is excused as trivial contacts that escalate into more frequent and serious attacks. Physical abuse includes behaviors like: pushing, shoving, slapping, damaging property or valued items, leaving partner in a dangerous place, refusing to provide assistance when their partner is sick or injured, attacking with weapons, etc.
- Psychological and/or Emotional Abuse: Psychological or mental violence can include anything that impacts the mental health and well being of the partner, such as: name-calling, constant criticism, harassment, blaming the victim for everything, excessive possessiveness and jealousy, isolation from family and friends, intimidation and humiliation.
- Sexual Abuse: Physical attacks by the abuser is often accompanied by, or culminate in, sexual violence wherein the victim is forced to have sexual intercourse with the abuser or take part in unwanted sexual activity, including unprotected sex.
- Economical Abuse: This includes any behavior that maintains power and control over finances, such as: preventing their partner from getting or keeping a job, making their partner ask for money for every expense, limiting partner’s access to funds and knowledge of family finances, and controlling their funds.