Domestic violence can impact anyone, regardless of income, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or religion. It is defined as a systematic pattern of controlling, coercive or violent behavior intended to punish, abuse and ultimately control the thoughts, beliefs, and actions of others.
This may include physical, emotional, economic, and/or sexual abuse.
Does your Partner...
- Put you down, embarrass you in front of others, and call you names?
- Look at you or behave in ways that make you feel afraid?
- Control where you go, who you see or talk to?
- Stop you from seeing family and friends?
- Prevent you from getting or keeping a job, take your money, or refuse to give you money?
- Make all of the decisions without compromising?
- Threaten to take the children or tell you that you are a bad parent?
- Shove, slap or hit you?
- Intimidate you with guns, knives or other weapons/objects?
- Minimize or deny the abuse?
- Threaten to hurt or kill pets?
- Threaten to kill you or commit suicide?
- Force you to submit to unwanted intimate acts?
Statistics
- Over 43 million women and 38 million men experience psychological aggression by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
- More than half of American Indian and Alaska Native women (55.5 percent) experience physical violence by intimate partners in their lifetime.
- The lifetime economic cost associated with medical services for intimate partner violence (IPV)-related injuries, lost productivity from paid work, criminal justice, and other costs is $3.6 trillion. The cost of IPV over a victim’s lifetime is $103,767 for women and $23,414 for men.
Photos used under Creative Commons from kennethkonica Tatters ✾