About DV

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ABOUT ABUSE

Domestic violence or abuse is when one person controls or coerces the other in an intimate relationship. It is about power and control. Abusers choose to use physical violence or emotional battering to express anger and gain control. They are not provoked to use violence; they alone are responsible for their inappropriate and unacceptable behavior.
DV is not a single incident. It is ongoing behavior that gradually undermines the victim’s confidence and ability to leave the violent partner.
Domestic violence is a crime and can result in the abuser being removed or restrained from the home and/or jailed.


Types of Abuse

We often think of abusive behavior being limited to physical battering and downplay the serious negative effects of verbal, emotional, or economic abuse by an intimate partner.
Abusive methods of control can come in many forms, and often carry an obvious or unstated threat of physical or sexual violence. The severity and frequency of violence escalates over time and may lead to serious injury and even death. Some examples of types of abuse and tactics used by abusers:


    Emotional Abuse
    Put downs — making them feel bad — name calling — crazy making — playing mind games — humiliation

    Isolation
    Controlling what they do, who they see and talk to — controlling where they go — limiting outside involvement — using jealousy to justify actions

    Minimizing, Denying, and Blaming
    Making light of the abuse and not taking their concerns about it seriously — saying the abuse didn’t happen — shifting responsibility for abusive behavior — victim blaming

    Using Children
    Making them feel guilty about the children — using the children to relay messages — misusing visitation to harass the victim — threatening to take the children away

    Using Male Privilege
    Treating them like a servant — making all the big decisions — acting like the “master of the castle" — being the one to define men’s and women’s roles

    Economic Abuse
    Preventing them from getting or keeping a job — making them ask for money — giving them an allowance — taking their money — not letting them know about or have access to family income

    Coercion and Threats
    Making and/or carrying out hurtful threats — threatening to leave, to commit suicide — forcing them to drop the charges — making them do illegal things

    Intimidation
    Using looks, actions, gestures to scare them — smashing things — destroying their property — abusing pets — displaying weapons Any kind of abusive behavior is serious and often gets worse over time. Bruises often heal faster than emotional scars.  



WHO ARE THE VICTIMS ?

Domestic violence affects people of all socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, and religious groups. Although most victims of reported domestic violence cases are women who are abused by men, there are reported cases of women who abuse their male intimate partners, women who abuse women, and men who abuse men. A person may be a victim even if s/he is not legally married to the abusive partner, is gay or lesbian, is separated or divorced, or is abused by someone else in the household, such as a parent or a child.
Source: www.JBWs.org


ABUSIVE BEHAVIOR EXAMPLES

Sometimes it is difficult to know when a person is being abused. Abuse is any behavior that is used to intimidate or control an intimate partner. These are just some of the examples of abusive behavior.

Does your partner:


  • Constantly ridicule or insult you?
  • Become extremely jealous?
  • Undermine your sense of power or confidence?
  • Make you account for every minute you are not together?
  • Manipulate you with lies, contradictions or promises?
  • Prevent you from seeing your friends and family?
  • Get angry when you disagree?
  • Make you ask for permission before you go out, get a job or go to school?
  • Abuse your pet to frighten you?
  • Destroy your property?
  • Restrain you?
  • Throw objects at you?
  • Threaten you with weapons or objects?
  • Threaten to hurt your children?
  • Hit, slap, punch, shove or kick you?

Another way to understand if you are a victim of abuse is by asking yourself questions about how your partner’s behavior affects you.


  • Do you feel you do not have the right to say “no"?
  • Are you afraid to disagree?
  • Have you stopped inviting guests to your home?
  • Have you stopped seeing your family and friends?
  • Do you feel responsible for the abuse?
  • Are you unable to go out, get a job, or go to school without permission?
  • Do you avoid talking to friends or acquaintances of the opposite sex for fear that your partner may become jealous and abusive?