What is Domestic Violence?
Domestic violence is about one person getting and keeping power and control over another person in an intimate relationship. The abusive person might be your current or former spouse, live-in lover or dating partner. The behaviors are designed to control another person and include a variety of tactics. Some behaviors are physically injurious and some are criminal. Examples of behaviors that may not be criminal but are still related to domestic violence include degrading comments, interrogationg children or other family members, suicide threats or attempts, controlling access to family resources, time, money food, clothing, shelter, as well as controlling the abused party's time and activities, etc. Whether or not there has been a finding of criminal conduct, evidence of these behaviors indicates a pattern of abusive control which has devastiting effects on the family. The abuse may be directed at persons other than the victim (e.g., children) or even animals and pets, for the purpose of controlling the victim. To better understand all of the ways that an abuser can use power and control over a victim, you can check out what is commonly called the "power and control wheel" at www.inmotiononline.org/content/view/16/16/lang,en/.
Who does Domestic Violence happen to?
Domestic violence happens to people of all ages, races, ethnicities, and religions. It occurs in both opposite-sex and same-sex relationships. Economic or professional status does not indicate domestic violence - abusers and victims can be laborers or college professors, judges or janitors, doctors or orderlies, schoolteachers, truck drivers, homemakers or store clerks.
About 95% of victims of domestic violence are women. Over 50% of all women will experience physical violence in an intimate relationship, and for 24-30% of those women, the battering will be regular and on-going. Every 15 seconds the crime of battering occurs. (National Coalition Against Domestic Violence General Information Packet). Most abusers are men. They may seem gentle, mean, quiet or loud, and may be big or small. There is some evidence that shows boys who grow up with domestic violence often become abusers as adults, however, many abusers are from non-violent homes, and many boys from violent homes do not grow up to be abusive.
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