Domestic violence is a pattern of assaultive or coercive behaviors used by one person in a relationship over another adult, emancipated minor or minor child who are family or household members or who are or were in a dating relationship.
It is often expressed in deliberate acts of inflicting a form of harm that involves physical, sexual, emotional and psychological attacks and economic coercion. Domestic violence can be demonstrated in numerous ways, but unlike the occasional argument or disagreement, it tends to be repetitive and often habitual leading to destructive consequences.
- Physical Abuse
- Kicking, punching, slapping, shoving or any other form of physical harm with or without a weapon
- Verbal Abuse
- Name-calling, insults, ridicule, or put-downs of the victim and/or the victim's friends or family
- Emotional Abuse
- False accusations and blame, intimidation, spreading rumors or gossip, abandonment, intentional hurtful words and deeds that diminish self-esteem and confidence
- Psychological Abuse
- Mind games, threats, creating fear, stalking, isolationism, controlling relationships with friends and/or family, hurting a pet or another loved one, abandonment
- Sexual Abuse
- Forcing a partner to engage in a sexual act that is unwanted or declined
- Financial/Economic
- Complete control of or access to money, bank accounts, personal property, and all other economic matters that create total dependency on the abuser
If you or someone you know is experiencing one or more of these forms of domestic violence, call DaySpring Villa at 918.245.4075 to get help now. If you believe your life or the life of another is in imminent danger, call 911.