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.
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