What is Domestic Violence?
Domestic violence is not just physical violence. Domestic violence is any behavior that is physical, verbal, emotional, or sexual used for the purpose to gain power and control over a person whether it be a spouse, partner, or a family member.
Who Can be a Victim of Domestic Violence?
Domestic violence can occur to anyone of any gender, age, racial, socioeconomic, educational, or immigration status.
How Common is Domestic Violence?
1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men have been victims of severe physical violence (e.g. beating, burning, strangling) by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. For one year, this equates to more than 10 million women and men (National Coalition Against Domestic Violence).
Signs of Domestic Violence
There may be signs or “red flags” that serve as warnings that the relationship is abusive. The following are some examples of “red flags” that make for an abusive relationship:
- Verbal abuse
- Exaggerated jealousy
- Extremely controlling behavior; and possessiveness
- A bad temper
- Forced sex; threatened or obliged to do it
- Blaming the victim for anything at all that happens
- Accusing the victim of flirting or having an affair with others
- Control of what the victim wears
- Degrading the victim privately or publicly
- Hair-pulling, kicking, hitting, slapping or choking
- Impede you from calling the police or seeking medical help
- Name-calling, insults, or constant severe criticism
- Your partner has isolated you from your family/friends
- Your partner demands sex when you don’t feel like it; ignores your feelings regarding sex
- Threatens or imposes violence upon you if you don’t comply with their demands
- Forbidding you to work or placing hour restrictions that you can work
- Stealing money from you or prohibiting you from accessing any bank accounts
- Utilizes social media to keep “tabs” on you
- Sends you explicit pictures and/or videos, and also demands you send some in return
- Monitors your phone constantly, checks your texts, call log, and pictures
