Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner. Domestic violence can be physical, sexual, emotional, economic or psychological actions or threats of actions that influence another person. This includes any behaviors that intimidate, manipulate, humiliate, isolate, frighten, terrorize, coerce, threaten, blame, hurt injure or wound someone.
If your partner uses one or more of the following to control you:
- – Pushing, hitting, slapping, choking, kicking or biting.
- – Threatening you, your children, other family members, or pets.
- – Threatening suicide to get you to do something.
- – Using or threatening to use a weapon against you.
- – Keeping or taking your paychecks.
- – Puts you down or makes you feel bad.
- – Forcing you to have sex, or to do sexual acts you do not want or like.
- – Keeping you from seeing your friends, family or going to work.
