What is Domestic Violence?

WRC identifies domestic violence from the experiences of the thousands of women and children with whom WRC and the many other domestic violence programs across the country have supported, sheltered, and accompanied to the hospital and court over the years.

Domestic violence is a pattern of behavior that includes the use or threat of violence and intimidation for the purpose of gaining and maintaining power and control. The abuse may be directed at an elder relative, a parent, a sibling, a child, an intimate partner, a date, a spouse, a former partner/spouse, or multiple family members.

A feminist view of domestic violence identifies such violence as one of the many tools of oppression used to support racism, sexism, heterosexism and other oppressive beliefs. Given that domestic violence crosses boundaries of age, religious beliefs, marital status, income, race, sexual orientation, physical and mental abilities, ethnicity, and gender, WRC advocates for dialogue and action to stop the violence while coping with the immediate crisis and impact of domestic violence on individuals and communities.

The use of abusive and controlling behaviors is a learned behavior and can be unlearned given interruption, accountability, and dedicated life changes on the part of the abusive party. Domestic violence is not caused by alcohol, neurosis, stress, or unemployment, but is certainly exacerbated by these conditions.

The Power & Control Wheel is a visual picture of abusive tactics and was first developed by the Domestic Abuse Intervention Project in Duluth, Minnesota.

Power-Control Wheel
(click for bigger image)

PHYSICAL ABUSE

  • Any physical contact that is hurtful or threatening.
  • Being slapped, punched, kicked, shoved, restrained, spit upon, bitten, thrown, strangled, poked with a finger, hit with an object, stomped or the threat of contact with anything that can be harmful to your person, such as poisons or weapons.
  • The withholding of medication, medical attention, and the equipment necessary to move about, such as wheelchairs and walkers for persons with mobility challenges.

EMOTIONAL & PSYCHOLOGICAL ABUSE

  • Made to feel that you are "walking on egg shells."
  • Threatens to have you deported.
  • Stalking, i.e. showing up at work, school, grocery, social events and following your activities.
  • Calling your cell-phone or persistent text messaging/voice mails
  • Using global positioning systems, pagers, and cell-phones to track your whereabouts.
  • Sleep deprivation.
  • Using religions to justify violence, or berates your religious beliefs.
  • Threatens cancellation of health insurance coverage.
  • Threatens suicide and/or homicide.
  • Threatens to kidnap the children or that you’ll never see them again.
  • Threatens to "out" you to your family and your employer.
  • Makes it known that your opinions do not count, that you are stupid, that you cannot survive on your own, that you are unlovable and unworthy of love.

SEXUAL ABUSE

  • Any verbal, physical, or indirect contact that is hurtful or threatening against a person’s sexuality or sexual being.
  • Any unwanted touch including hugs and kisses and forced intercourse or any nonconsensual sexual act.
  • Remarks made about looks or body shape, sexist jokes and derogatory remarks about ones sexuality or gender.
  • Refusal to practice safe sex.
  • Forced viewing of sexually explicit or pornographic films, or forced or secret taping of sexual activity.
  • Disrespecting values and decisions about sexuality.

ECONOMIC ABUSE

  • Preventing financial security and employment stability by sabotaging work or education plans; i.e. hiding car keys/bus pass, tampering with the alarm clock or transportation, calling off work for you, causing “scenes” at work/school until you either quit from embarrassment or are fired.
  • Physical assaults leaving bruises visible with the intent to impact attendance.
  • Taking the paycheck and not providing money for transportation or gas.
  • Harassing co-workers or school personnel.
  • Destroying course books or materials.
  • Sabotaging computer files or programs to impact your work and education.
  • Placing names and removing names from accounts, i.e. bank, mortgage, rental lease, charge cards.

Possible Effects of Domestic Violence GO TO:

Get Help Series- The National Center for Victims of Crime is a national resource and advocacy organization.
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence provides information for survivors and their advocates on safety planning and resources.

STAGGERING STATISTICS

  • Nearly 1 in 3 adult women experience physical assault by a partner during adulthood. (American Psychological Association, 1996. Violence and the Family: Report of the American Psychological Association Presidential Task Force on Violence and the Family.)
  • The overlap between domestic violence and child abuse is well documented. It is estimated that 40-60% of men who abuse women also abuse children. (American Psychological Association, 1996. Violence and the Family: Report of the American Psychological Association Presidential Task Force on Violence and the Family.  Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association. P. 80.)
  • Domestic Violence is a major cause of family homelessness.  A large percentage of all women and children living on the streets became homeless because of domestic violence. (The United States Conference of Mayors, 1999. A Status Report on Hunger and Homelessness in American Cities. 94.  See also, Zorza, J., 1991. Woman Battering: A Major Cause of Homelessness. Clearinghouse Review, 25(4):421.)

For more information on statistics GO TO:

NEED HELP...GO TO...GET HELP NOW
OR
CALL 24/7 ~ HOTLINES FOR CRISIS SUPPORT

RAINN(Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network)
800- 656- HOPE | www.rainn.org
Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape
888-772-PCAR | www.pcar.org
National Domestic Violence Hotline
800-799-7233 | TTY 800-787-3224 | www.ndvh.org
National Runaway Switchboard
800-621-4000 | www.nrscrisisline.org

TO TAKE ACTION TO END THE VIOLENCE GO TO STOPPING THE VIOLENCE