What is Domestic Violence?

Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behavior that is used by an individual to gain or maintain power and control over an intimate partner or family member.

Dating violence is a kind of intimate partner violence that occurs between two people in a close relationship. It is a pattern of abusive behaviors by one partner against the other within the context of either casual dating or a long-term relationship.

Physical Abuse

Involves injuring, disabling or killing the victim. Physical abuse can be performed with a weapon or restraint or merely using body, size or strength to harm another person. The injury from the abuse does not have to be major.

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Financial Abuse

  • Demanding access to your money

  • Preventing you from working

  • Insisting that if they pay for you, you owe them something in return 

Digital Abuse

  • Sending threats via text, social media or email

  • Stalking or embarrassing you on social media

  • Hacking your social media or email accounts without permission

  • Forcing you to share passwords

  • Constantly texting or calling to check up on you

  • Frequently looking through your phone or monitoring your texts/call log 

 

Emotional/Physchological Abuse

  • Humiliating, insulting, or swearing at the other

  • Attempting to control activities

  • Trying to destroy self-confidence and self-esteem

  • Isolating the person from other friends and family

Sexual Abuse

Not only includes rape and sexual assault, but it also includes demeaning behavior like exposing a partner's body to friends, forcing a partner into posing for pornography, secretly videotaping a partner while engaging in sex, or forcing a partner to have sex without using protection. 

 

Safety plan

A safety plan is a personalized, practical plan that can help you avoid dangerous situations and know the best way to react when you're in danger. If you're experiencing abuse or are in an unhealthy relationship, creating a safety plan can be very helpful.