Domestic violence = a pattern of coercive behavior aimed at gaining and then maintaining power and control over the behavior of an intimate partner.
Forms of domestic violence include emotional, psychological, verbal, physical, and sexual. Domestic violence includes physical and sexual assault, harassment, threats, blaming, name-calling, isolating from family and social contacts, withholding money, controlling behavior, stalking, verbal abuse, etc. Social factors contribute to public acceptance and prevalence of domestic violence. Read more.
Domestic violence is never an isolated incident. It is a behavioral pattern with distinct stages. The pattern is often described as a cycle, and because with each episode the seriousness of abuse escalates, the pattern can also be well-described as a spiral. Domestic violence progresses from set-up to abuse, to guilt and fear of reprisal, to rationalization, to normal behavior, to fantasy and planning, and back to the set up, which begins another cycle. Read more.
Warning signs of abuse include jealousy, controlling behavior, hypersensitivity, volatility, cruelty to animals, hostile language, isolating, breaking objects, threatening violence, etc. Read more.
Domestic violence affects everyone. One in four women has experienced violence in intimate relationships; three women are killed by their partners every day. Seventy-four percent of Americans know a victim of domestic violence. Read more.
Domestic abuse yearly costs almost $6 billion in health care, lost productivity, lost earnings, property loss. The cost of criminal and justice services, and victims’ pain and suffering is close to incalculable. Read more.
Victims of domestic violence suffer from a host of problems: medical (injuries, wounds, disability, chronic pain), emotional (depression, anxiety, panic attacks), psychological (decreased self-esteem, symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, learned helplessness) and social (isolation). These problems lead to higher than average risk among victims of drug and alcohol abuse, suicide, future victimization and perpetration of abuse.
Up to 10 million children in the nation are exposed to violence at home each year. Children growing up in these homes are highly likely to be abused and neglected. Children living in an abusive environment are at a higher risk of being depressed, committing violence against their peers, attempting suicide, abusing alcohol and drugs, running away from home, and becoming abusers or victims of domestic violence in the future. Read more.
Help us empower our relatives, friends, neighbors, coworkers to have safe and healthy relationships. Foster zero tolerance for all forms of violence! Help us create a safe environment for every adult and child to live free from harm. Make a difference! Thank you for your support.
