Domestic violence is one or more incidents of or a pattern of incidents of controlling, forcing, degrading, and violent behavior, including sexual violence. In most cases, the abuser is a partner, ex-partner, or a family member.
Below are some types of domestic violence.
· Physical abuse can include hitting, biting, slapping, battering, shoving, punching, pulling hair, burning, cutting, pinching, etc. It also includes denying someone medical treatment
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 often takes the form of rape, attacking sexual body parts, physical violence that is followed by forcing sex, sexually demeaning the victim, or even telling sexual jokes at the victim's expense.
Emotional abuse involves invalidating or deflating the victim's sense of self-worth and/or self-esteem. Emotional abuse often takes the form of constant criticism, name-calling, injuring the victim's relationship with his/her children, or interfering with the victim's abilities.
Economic abuse takes place when the abuser makes or tries to make the victim financially reliant. Economic abusers often seek to maintain total control over financial resources, withhold the victims' access to funds, or prohibit the victim from going to school or work.
Psychological abuse involves the abuser invoking fear through intimidation; threatening to physically hurt himself/herself, the victim, children, the victim's family or friends, or the pets; destruction of property; injuring the pets; isolating the victim from loved ones, and prohibiting the victim from going to school or work.
Threats to hit, injure, or use a weapon are a form of psychological abuse.
Stalking can include following the victim, spying, watching, harassing, showing up at the victim's home or work, sending gifts, collecting information, making phone calls, leaving written messages, or appearing at a person's home or workplace. These acts individually are typically legal, but any of these behaviors done continuously results in a stalking crime.
Cyberstalking refers to online action or repeated emailing that inflicts substantial emotional distress on the victim.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, contact 1.800.799.7233 or, text “START” to 88788.