Domestic Family Violence Services and Education
Family and Domestic Violence is Real in Our Communities…
Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women between the ages of 15 and 44 in the United States, more than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined. It is estimated that 1 in every 4 women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime.
Awareness
Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behavior used by the abuser to gain or maintain control over the victim. Domestic violence happens in all races, age groups, sexual orientations, religions, social classes, economic backgrounds and education levels. It can occur in opposite-sex, and same-sex relationships: between partners who are married, living together, dating or those who are no longer in a relationship together. - Colorado Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Types of Abuse
Various combinations of abuse may be used by an abuser or there may be an emphasis placed on one type. All are used to increase both the dependency and isolation of the victim while taking progressive control over the victim.
- Physical abuse can include hitting, grabbing, shoving, throwing, punching, biting or hair-pulling. Holding someone down during an argument, or preventing them from leaving a room or the house and denying the victim medical attention, are all forms of abuse. Forcing the victim to use drugs and alcohol are also means of controlling the victim.
- Emotional abuse can include constant criticism, humiliation, name-calling, and/or making the victim think she's crazy or holding her responsible for his abusive behavior. The abuser may use jealousy to justify controlling where the victim goes, whom she sees and talks to, furthering her isolation. If she attempts to leave the relationship the abuser may make suicidal threats, threats to kill her or take the children away.
- Sexual abuse may include forcing a victim to have sex, sexually injuring a partner or forcing a victim to do sexually humiliating acts.
- Economic abuse includes preventing the victim from working or having access to money, forcing the victim to give her money to the abuser, withholding information about family finances, or not allowing the victim to have a say in how money is spent. If an abuser harasses a victim at work she may be in jeopardy of losing her job. Economic abuse can force a victim to be financially dependent on her abuser making it difficult to leave the situation.
Common Characteristics of Family / Domestic Violence
- The abuser intimidates the victim by smashing things, punching walls, threatening or abusing children and pets, displaying weapons, or through threatening looks or gestures.
- The abuser minimizes the abuse by saying it didn't happen or wasn't a big deal, blaming the victim for making the abuser angry or saying the victim made the abuser do something because of the victim's actions or words.
- Family / Domestic Violence increases in frequency and severity. It is never an isolated incident or a one-time occurrence.