Domestic Violence: It Can Happen To You

Domestic violence is found in all societies, and cutspartner. Domestic abuse is often physical in nature,
across all lines of race, religion, and class. Violent actsranging from violence or the threat of violence,
between family members is included under theunwanted physical contact and rape, to even murder.
broader definition of domestic violence, and theseViolence can also include non-physical mental and
acts could include wife or husband beating, battering,emotional abuse which chiefly involves control of the
domestic abuse, spousal abuse, child abuse, and elderother person's money, social life, and sense of self
abuse. Domestic violence not only includes physicalworth. Fear of their abuser often isolates the victim
violence, but can also include sexual abuse, emotionalin these situations.
abuse, intimidation, economic deprivation, or threatsIntimate partner violence (IPV), or simply domestic
of violence. More than 32 million Americans areabuse and violence against women, has been a major
affected by domestic violence. It is a preventable,focus of modern feminism, and has been attracting
major public health problem, according to the Centersattention since the women's movement. Everyone
for Disease Control or the CDC. Possibly as many asshould be free from domestic violence, but this is not
one third of domestic violence cases in the Unitedthe case. Domestic violence should be addressed
States are not reflected in the official statistics, thatbefore it even begins, although it is always difficult to
only encompass reported cases.talk about. The National Institute of Health provides
When someone tries to dominate a family member,more information about how to deal with abuse and
physically or not, it is considered domestic violence.violence; symptoms, prevention and screening; and
Though it typically refers to violence betweenlaw, policy and statistics at their website which can
spouses, the term can cover co-habitants andbe accessed at Legal information and other resources
non-married intimate couples also. Domestic violencefor battered women can be found at and While the
is defined by The United States Office on Violencechallenge of getting out of a physically or
Against Women as a pattern of abusive behavior inpsychologically abusing relationship can be daunting,
any relationship, that is used by one partner to gainhelp can be found if you know where to look.
or maintain power and control over another intimate