What is Domestic Violence
Domestic violence is an act that includes physical assault (hitting, pushing, shoving, etc.), sexual abuse (unwanted or forced sexual activity), and verbal abuse. There are behaviors that are used by one person in a relationship who tries to control the other. This may occur to partners who may be married or not married. They may be heterosexual or homosexual (i.e. gay or lesbian) couples and may be living together, separated or dating. Domestic violence includes abuse and actions such as:- Name calling or putdowns
- Keeping a partner from contacting his/her family or friends.
- Withholding money/ allowance or denying financial support
- Stopping a partner from getting or keeping a job
- Actual or threatened physical harm
- Sexual assault
- Stalking
- Intimidation
Who are the possible victims of domestic violence? Anyone can be a victim, or is at risk of it, especially if his/her partner:
- is very jealous and/ or spies on him/ her
- will not let him/ her break off the relationship
- hurts him/ her in any way, is violent, of brags about hurting other people
- puts him/ her down or makes him/her feel bad
- forces him/her to have sex or makes him/ her afraid to say no to sex
- abuses drugs or alcohol; pressures him/ her to use drugs or alcohol
- has a history of bad relationships and blames it on others