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Domestic Violence

Domestic violence is the willful intimidation, physical assault,  battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior as part of a  systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate  partner against another. It includes physical violence, sexual violence,  psychological violence, and emotional abuse.

TYPES OF DOMESTIC ABUSE

• Control, Emotional Abuse & Intimidation

• Physical Abuse

• Sexual Abuse

• Verbal Abuse: Coercion, Threats, & Blame

• Economic Abuse

CONTROL,EMOTIONAL ABUSE & INTIMIDATION

Controlling behavior is a way for the batterer to maintain dominance over the victim.

Emotional abuse involves invalidating or deflating the victim's sense of self-worth and/or self-esteem.

This may include but is not limited to:

Control

• Checking the mileage on the odometer following use of the car

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• Monitoring phone calls, using caller ID or other number monitoring devices, not allowing the victim to make or receive phone calls

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• Invading victim's privacy by not allowing them time and space of their own

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• Forcing or encouraging the victim's dependency by making them believe they are incapable of surviving or performing simple tasks on their own

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• Using the children to control the victim by using the children as spies, threatening to kill, hurt or kidnap the children, and threats to call Child Protective Services if the victim leaves the relationship

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Emotional Abuse & Intimidation

• Calling the victim names, insulting the victim or continually criticizing the victim

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• Trying to isolate the victim from family or friends

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• Monitoring where the victim goes, who they call and who they spend time with

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• Trapping the victim in their home or preventing them from leaving

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• Using weapons to threaten to hurt the victim

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• Threatening to hurt the victim, the children, victim's family or pets

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• Damaging the victim's property when they’re angry (throwing objects, punching walls, kicking doors, etc.)

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• Blaming the victim for the abuse

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• Accusing the victim of cheating and being often jealous of victim's outside relationships

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• Serially cheating on the victim and then blaming the victim for his or her behavior

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• Attempting to control the victim's appearance: what they wear, how much/little makeup they wear, etc.

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• Telling the victim that they will never find anyone better, or that they are lucky to be with a person like them

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PHYSICAL ABUSE AND SEXUAL ABUSE

Physical abuse is any physically aggressive behavior, withholding of physical needs, indirect physically harmful behavior, or threat of physical abuse. 

Sexual abuse occurs when the abuser coerces or attempts to coerce the  victim into having sexual contact or sexual behavior without the  victim's consent.

This may include but is not limited to:

Physical Abuse

• Pulling the victim's hair, punching, slapping, kicking, biting or choking the victim

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• Forbidding the victim from eating or sleeping

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• Hurting the victim with weapons

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• Preventing the victim from calling the police or seeking medical attention

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• Harming the victim's children

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• Abandoning the victim in unfamiliar places

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• Driving recklessly or dangerously when the victim is in the car with them

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• Forcing the victim to use drugs or alcohol

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Sexual Abuse

• Forcing the victim to dress in a sexual way

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• Insulting the victim in sexual ways

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• Forcing or manipulating the victim into to having sex or performing sexual acts

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• Holding the victim down during sex

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• Demanding sex when the victim is sick, tired or after hurting the victim

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• Hurting the victim with weapons or objects during sex

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• Involving other people in sexual

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• activities with the victim against their will

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• Ignoring the victim's feelings regarding sex

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• Forcing the victim to watch pornography

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• Purposefully trying to pass on a sexually transmitted disease to the victim

VERBAL ABUSE

Verbal abuse is any abusive language used to denigrate, embarrass or threaten the victim.

This may include but is not limited to:

• Threatening to hurt or kill the victim or her children, family, pets, property or reputation.

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• Name calling

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• Yelling, screaming, rampaging, terrorizing or refusing to talk

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ECONOMIC ABUSE

Economic abuse takes place when the abuser makes or tries to make the victim financially reliant.

This may include but is not limited to:

• Placing the victim's paycheck in their bank account and denying the victim access to it

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• Preventing the victim from viewing or having access to bank accounts

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• Forbidding the victim to work or limiting the hours that the victim can work

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• Stealing money from the victim or victim's family and friends

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• Using funds from children’s savings accounts without victim's permission

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• Making you give them your tax returns or PFD.

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• Refusing to give you money to pay for necessities/shared expenses like food, clothing, transportation, or medical care and medicine​​