What is Domestic Violence?
The United States Department of Justice defines domestic violence as a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is 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.
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:
- Emotional/Verbal
- Physical
- Sexual
- Financial
- Psychological
- Technological
- Neglect (especially with children and the elder population, as well as people with special needs and disabilities)
Warning Signs of Domestic Violence and Abuse:
- Extreme jealousy or insecurity
- Explosive temper
- Isolation from friends, family, and work
- Controlling
- Physical harm
- Intimidation/humiliation
- Possessiveness
- Suicidal Ideation
- Using your pet(s) in a way to try and control you by threatening to harm them or take them from you.
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If you are being abused REMEMBER:
When you're ready to talk, we're ready to listen. Your call to us is important, that's why all calls are strictly confidential and you may call anonymously if you'd like.
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Normal conflicting emotions victims may be dealing with:
- Fear: The fear of what might happen if they were to leave.
- Belief: Believing abuse is normal due to being exposed to unhealthy relationships; possibly by parents, certain religious misconceptions, former relationships, witnessing other family members being in an unhealthy relationship when you were growing up, violence in the media, certain cultures, and so on.
- Embarrassment: They have a hard time admitting to others that they have been abused due to the fear of being judged or letting others down.
- Low self-esteem: feeling like you cannot do better than the situation you are in now, feeling that you can't make it on your own. Low self-esteem and domestic violence go hand in hand in many cases.
Did you know?
- Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women, 1 in 3 women report being physically or sexually abused by a husband or boyfriend at some point during their lives.
- Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury in the United States.
- More than 32 million Americans are affected by domestic violence each year.
- According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics: On average, 3 female and 1 male victims of domestic violence are murdered by their partner every day.
Domestic Violence Knows No Boundaries...It Affects Everyone...
MALE VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE
Did you know?
- 66% of men surveyed in the National Violence Against Women Survey said that they were physically 3 assaulted as a child by an adult caretaker. --NCADV
- The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) notes that 835,000 men are physically assaulted by an intimate partner annually.
- R.E.A.C.H. provides free and confidential services to male victims of domestic & sexual violence.
RESOURCE GUIDE FOR MALE VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AFFECTS EVERYONE:
"Domestic violence can happen in any relationship, regardless of ethnic group, income level, religion, education or sexual orientation. Abuse may occur between a married people, or between an unmarried people living together or in a dating relationship. It happens in heterosexual, gay and lesbian relationships."
- By TOBY D. GOLDSMITH, MD
