Domestic violence can take many forms: emotional, verbal, psychological, physical, sexual.

Abuse is a pattern of behavior which, through fear and intimidation, establishes power and control over a person. Abuse includes violence and the threat of violence. Approximately 95% of the victims of battering are women.

Abuse takes many forms: physical battering or its threat, sexual violence, psychological/emotional abuse, including economic domination, using children, intimidation, extreme controlling behavior, and abuse of pets. An estimated 3 to 4 million American women are battered each year by their husbands or partners.

How Do I Know If I Am Being Abused?

How many of these things has your partner done to you?

• ignored your feelings
• ridiculed or insulted women as a group
• ridiculed or insulted your most valued beliefs, your religion, race, heritage or class
• withheld approval, appreciation or affection as punishment
• continually criticized you, called you names, shouted at you
• insulted or drove away your friends or family
• humiliated you in public or private
• refused to socialize with you
• kept you from working, controlled your money, made all the decisions
• took car keys or money away
• regularly threatened to leave or told you to leave
• threatened to hurt you or your family
• threatened to kidnap the children if you left him
• abused pets to hurt you
• told you about his affairs
• harassed you about affairs he imagined you were having
• manipulated you with lies and contradictions

Physical Abuse

Has your intimate partner done any of these things to you?

• pushed or shoved you
• held you to keep you from leaving
• slapped or bit you
• kicked or choked you
• hit or punched you
• thrown objects at you
• locked you out of the house
• abandoned you in dangerous places
• refused you help when you were sick, injured or pregnant
• subjected you to reckless driving
• forced you off the road or kept you from driving
• raped you
• threatened or hurt you with a weapon

Statistics

• In one year alone, almost four million American women are physically abused by their husbands or boyfriends.
• As many as 1 in 3 women will be assaulted by a domestic partner in her lifetime. (American Medical Association, 1992)
• 1/3 of all women who are murdered die at the hands of a husband or boyfriend. (FBI, 1990) 70% of battered women report that their abusers harass them at work with frequent telephone calls. (Stanley, 1992)
• There were 71 domestic violence related deaths in Colorado in 1995.
• Dating violence affects around 28% of teenagers in intimate relationships.