Intimate Partner Violence

Intimate partner violence, also known as domestic abuse, is a pattern of threatening or controlling behavior, in which someone in an intimate relationship has been harmed on purpose. This harm can be physical, sexual, or emotional. Abuse can be actual or threatened and can take several forms:

• Battery and Physical Assault - pushing, hitting, kicking, choking, beating, or attacking with a weapon.
• Sexual Assault - making a person perform sexual acts when they do not want to.
• Psychological Abuse - name calling, threatening a person or their children, humiliation, or controlling a person's life through the following:
• • Withholding access to money, food, or clothing
  • Interfering with sleep or transportation
  • Isolating them from friends and family
  • Monitoring their social media or phone
  • Sabotage their birth control or forcing them to get an abortion

Disagreements or heated arguments are normal in a relationship. Physical violence or abusive behavior is not. If you are in an abusive relationship, talk to someone you trust about it. It may be hard to talk about abuse at first, but many people find relief and a sense of safety after they've told someone outside their home. It is not your fault - nobody deserves to be abused.

The following resources can help:

• National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224
• National Domestic Violence website: www.thehotline.org
• Local shelters - many shelters offer not only a safe place to stay, but free counseling to help you find a job, care for your children, and deal with money concerns.