What Is Domestic Violence?

Domestic violence means any violence between current or former partners in an intimate relationship, wherever and whenever it occurs.

Domestic Violence is more widespread than is realized.  Both women and men experience it although 95% are women and children.

Some people think that domestic violence is just physical but it’s not.  It can include Physical, Emotional, Sexual and Financial abuse.  These all come from the abusers desire for power and control and can be:

Physical abuse can mean hitting, kicking, punching, slapping, biting, strangling, hitting with objects, hair pulling, stabbing, attempted murder and MURDER. 

Emotional abuse shows itself in shouting, threatening, repeated criticism about everything, putting down constantly, sleep deprivation, checking up on everything, humiliation, jealousy, no privacy, being constantly blamed for everything. 

Sexual abuse is devastating.  It includes forced sex, rape, using objects to sexually assault, forced prostitution, incest, forced sex with others\in front of others.

Financial abuse means not being allowed money, not being allowed to work, stealing money and property from the abused person, only allowed to have money for basic necessities like food.

Most abused individuals suffer from one or more of these types of abuse.  In the final analysis the trauma has lasting or long-term scars that may never heal.  It might take just one small thing from the above to happen and everything will come flooding back and you begin to wonder if anything will ever get better.

 

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