Domestic Violence is a pattern of abusive behaviors used by one person intended to gain power and control over another person in an intimate relationship.  Domestic Violence is maintained by societal and cultural attitudes, institutions and laws that are not consistent in naming this violence as wrong.


Pattern: Domestic violence is series of incidents of violence. These patterns often increase in frequency and become more intense.

Abusive Behaviors:  include physical violence (pushing, pinching, punching, slapping, kicking, throwing objects, choking, using weapons, homicide/suicide etc); verbal & emotional violence (name calling, criticizing, ignoring, yelling, isolation, humiliation etc); sexual violence (unwanted touching, sexual name calling, unfaithfulness, false accusations, forced sex, hurtful sex); destruction of property and violence towards other significant people.

Power and Control:  The abuse is not about stress, personal or professional crisis, drugs, or poor anger management.  It is about one person wanting to maintain power and control over the partner/survivor.

Intimate Relationship is a relationship between two people who:

• Related by blood (parent, brother, sister, grand parent)

• Share legal custody (parent, step parent, step-child, child)

• Marriage (spouse, or former spouse)

• Have a child(ren) in common

• Share the same residence (currently or in the past; roommates; in-laws, partner)

• Have a romantic dating relationship (currently or in the past; does not have to be sexual)

Domestic Violence can happen to anyone, regardless of age, status, sex, race, culture, religion, education status, employment or immigration status.  Although both men and women experience abuse, most survivors are women. Domestic Violence should not happen to anybody.