The Center for Prevention of Abuse - What Is Domestic Violence

WHAT IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE?

What is domestic violence? Domestic violence is a pattern of behavior used to establish power and control over another person through fear and intimidation, often including the threat or use of violence. Domestic violence happens when one person believes they are entitled to control another. Assault, battering and domestic violence are crimes, but domestic violence can take many forms. It may include emotional abuse, economic abuse, sexual abuse, using children, threats, using "male privilege", intimidation, isolation, and a variety of other behaviors to maintain fear, intimidation and power. In all cultures, the perpetrators are most commonly the men of the family and women are most commonly the victims of violence.

Acts of domestic violence generally fall into one or more of the following categories:

Physical Battering - The abuser's physical attacks or aggressive behavior can range from bruising to murder. It often begins with what is excused as trivial contacts which escalate into more frequent and serious attacks.
Sexual Abuse - Physical attack by the abuser is often accompanied by, or culminates in, sexual violence wherein the victim is forced to have sexual intercourse with the abuser or take part in unwanted sexual activity.
Psychological Battering -The abuser's psychological or mental violence can include constant verbal abuse, harassment, excessive possessiveness, isolating the victim from friends and family, and destruction of personal property.
Economic/Financial Abuse - Deprivation of physical or financial resources and/or destruction of property.

Domestic violence escalates. It often begins with behaviors like threats, name calling, violence in the victim's presence (such as punching a fist through a wall), and/or damage to objects or pets. It may escalate to restraining, pushing, slapping, and/or pinching. Domestic violence may include punching, kicking, biting, sexual assault, tripping, and throwing. Finally, it may become life-threatening with serious behaviors such as strangling, breaking bones, or the use of weapons.

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