Domestic Violence

Red Flags To Consider
	Common Characteristics Of A Batterer
Intimate Partner Abuse
Inside the Home
	Generational Effects Of Violence
Cycle Of Violence
Power & Control
Legal Issues
Important Facts
	Bibliography & Web Links

Community Resources

	What Do I Say & Do When Someone Says They Have Been Abused?
	Do's & Don't's When Responding To Families Experiencing Domestic Violence
	Men Standing With Women As Advocates
	Domestic Violence In The Work Place
	Employees Work To End Domestic Violence
	Employers Work To End Domestic Violence

Intimate Partner Abuse

Definition of Intimate Partner abuse:

A pattern of abusing power for the purpose of controlling an intimate partner.

•  Partners may be: Male-Female, Male-Male, Female-Female

•  Partners may be: Teens, Young Adults, Middle Age Adults, Older Adults

•  Partners may be: Married, Dating, Living together or not

Abuse may be:

•  Physical acts of violence: pushing, grabbing, pinching, hitting, kicking, slapping, choking, and other physical ways of hurting and controlling a partner

•  Verbal and emotional abuse: Verbal assaults, manipulative and/or controlling behaviors toward a partner which cause that person to feel afraid, confused, overwhelmed, threatened, powerless, "crazy," inadequate, frustrated, rejected

•  Sexual abuse: forcing unwanted sexual acts or withholding sexual intimacy or making degrading comments about someone's sexuality or attractiveness.

•  Financial: limiting access to money for the purpose of limiting resources available

•  Intimidation: using gestures or actions to make someone feel afraid

•  Interference with personal liberties: detaining someone or preventing another person from going somewhere, talking to someone, or doing something.

•  Willful deprivation: withholding food or other critical resources to control someone.

•  Stalking: following or pursuing someone who has asked to be left alone

•  Harassment: persistent phone calls, conversations, or other behavior that the other person has requested to stop.

Participants in Partner Abuse are:

Victim - The person upon whom the abuse is perpetrated

Abuser or Perpetrator - The person who behaves in ways that are intentionally designed to maintain control of and power over, the victim

Witness - The person who observes the controlling behaviors of the perpetrator upon the victim.

-Often the only witnesses are the children

-Sometimes neighbors see or hear the abuse

-All of us see the results upon individuals and society

Social institutions, groups, and individuals that perpetuate beliefs and practices which allow domestic violence to continue

Social institutions, groups, and individuals that raise community awareness of the problem of DV, provide safety and support for the victim and child witnesses, and treatment for the perpetrator.