Warning Signs

Domestic violence is any behavior used by an intimate partner to sustain the mental and physical control of another partner. These behaviors include physical or sexual assault, emotional abuse, and the prevention of financial security. Domestic violence affects both male and female with no regard to the individual’s race, financial or educational background, age, or marital status. [3]
According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, the below warning signs are indicators that you may be in an abusive relationship with a partner [3]:

• Criticizes, humiliates, and degrades, you including your actions and behavior
• Exhibits severe jealousy towards other individuals in your life or when you attempt to spend time apart
• Attempts to isolate or minimize your contact with friends or family
• Maintains financial control or prevents you from having money on your own
• Exhibits behavior that frightens you including displaying weapons that could be used to hurt you
• Controls every aspect of your life including preventing you from obtaining a job or attending school
• Criticizes your ability to be a parent or threatens to remove or cause harm to the children
• Encourages you to consume alcohol, use drugs, or engage in sexual activity against your will or that you are uncomfortable with

Statistics

NATIONAL STATISTICS

• 85% of women and 15 % of men are victims of domestic violence. [1]
• In the U.S., at least three women are murdered daily as a result of domestic violence by a current or former partner. [1]
• Over 4.7 million women in the U.S. will experience physical violence by a partner annually. [1]
• 81% of women who have experienced stalking by a current or former male partner are also physically assaulted by that same person. [1]
• Domestic violence is the top reason for injuries to women- at a higher amount than the sum of injuries caused by car accidents, robberies and sexual assaults. [2]
• A woman is physically or emotionally assaulted every nine seconds. [2]

[1] Vagianos, A. (2015, February 13). 30 Shocking Domestic Violence Statistics That Remind Us It’s An Epidemic.Retrieved from Huffpost:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/23/domestic-violence-statistics_n_5959776.html
[2] Domestic Violence Statistics. (2017). Domestic Violence Statistics. Retrieved from Domestic Violence Statistics: http://domesticviolencestatistics.org/domestic-violence-statistics/
[3] The National Domestic Violence Hotline. (n.d.). Abuse Defined. Retrieved from The National Domestic Violence Hotline: http://www.thehotline.org/is-this-abuse/abuse-defined/