What is Domestic Violence? Domestic Violence is the willful intimidation, physical assault, sexual assault, and other abusive behavior as a systematic pattern of power and control.
There are 4 types of Domestic Violence:
- Physical Abuse: pushing, kicking, hitting, biting or strangling
- Emotional Abuse: Name calling, jealousy, manipulating, humiliating, threatening and degrading
- Sexual Abuse: Forced sexual contact of any kind
- Economic Abuse: Denying access to bank accounts or credit cards, preventing someone from going to work or getting a job
In the United States:
- 1 in 5 Women and 1 in 71 Men HAVE or WILL experience rape
- 1 in 15 children are exposed to Domestic Violence every year
- 3 Million Women and 5.1 Million Men have experienced STALKING
- US Victims of Domestic Violence lose 8 Million paid work days every year
- Roughly 20 people will get harassed and /or experience Domestic Violence Assault every minute
- Domestic Violence can be committed by a spouse, a former partner, a person living in the same household or a current partner.
ANYONE can be a victim of Domestic Violence. There is NO typical victim. Victims come from all walks of life, varying age groups, all backgrounds, all education levels, all cultures, all ethnicities, all religions, all abilities and all lifestyles
It’s important to note here that Domestic Violence doesn’t always manifest as physical abuse. The lack of physical violence does not mean that the abuser is any less dangerous to the victim nor does it mean that the victim is any less trapped by the abuser.
I’m sure you have all heard the question asked, perhaps you have even thought it yourself, “Why doesn’t she just leave?”.
Unfortunately, Domestic Violence doesn’t always end when the relationship ends, in fact it often intensifies because the abuser feels a loss of control over the victim. In fact, the victim is often in the most danger directly following the escape from the relationship OR when she/he seeks help.
- On average it takes a victim 7 times to leave before staying away for good
- Over 70% of Domestic Violence Homicides happen after the victim leaves
- 1/5 of Domestic Violence homicide victims with restraining orders are murdered within 2 days of obtaining that order
- 1/3 of Domestic Violence homicide victims with restraining orders are murdered within the first month after that restraining order is obtained.
- So far in 2024, there have been 480 gun related Domestic Violence fatalities
- 10 million people a year are physically abused by an intimate partner
- 20,000 calls a day are placed to Domestic Violence hotlines.
Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault/Intimate Partner Violence is all about control. When one person feels entitled to power over and control their partner and uses violence to gain and maintain that control. We are fortunate in the Fox Valley to have great Domestic Violence Resources.
If you are being abused, or have a family member or a friend that you fear is suffering, please reach out to these FREE services for counseling, shelter, or just to get information on what kind of help is available to you.
Harbor House: 920-832-1666 (Appleton)
Christine Anne: 920-235-5998 (Oshkosh)
Domestic Violence Hotline (24/7): 1-800-799-7233