What is Domestic Violence?
Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behaviors that one partner uses to establish and maintain power and control over the other person in the relationship.
What does domestic violence look like?
Abusive behavior can include physical, sexual, verbal, emotional, and financial tactics. Behaviors such as hitting, slapping, shoving, choking, forced or coerced sexual activity, name-calling, put-downs, threats, intimidation, and denying access to money are abusive. While there are many different forms that abuse can take, it centers around one partner controlling the other.
Domestic violence occurs across all socioeconomic, racial, ethnic,and religious backgrounds. It happens in both heterosexual and homosexual relationships, and both men and women can be victims and perpetrators of domestic violence.