What Is Domestic Violence?

a definition of domestic violence

Domestic Violence is a pattern of coercive behavior in which one person attempts to control another through threats or actual use of tactics, which may include any or all of the following: physical, sexual, verbal and psychological abuse.

Domestic Violence affects every community across the country, regardless of ethnic group, culture, or background. People of all ages, income levels, faiths, sexual orientation, gender, and education levels experience domestic violence.

Domestic violence isolates the person being abused and can rob inner strength, feelings of self-worth and the ability to make personal choices. Often people experiencing abuse begin to feel responsible for the abuse.

Domestic Violence is not a private matter, a family problem, a domestic "squabble" or a "fight." It is not a momentary loss of temper or the abuse of drugs and alcohol. Abuser choose to use tactics of violence repeatedly to gain power and control.

Exposure to domestic violence traumatizes children and can destroy their ability to feel safe in the world as well as cause them to feel responsible for the abuse.

Physical and sexual violence against a family member or intimate partner is a crime and perpetrators can be arrested and prosecuted.

Ending domestic violence requires a social, political, and economic environment to ensure that battered women are supported and batterers are held accountable. Everyone must be part of the solution.