What is Domestic Violence:
The intentional intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior, which causes physical or emotional harm. A systematic pattern to gain power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner against another. This includes physical violence, sexual violence, and emotional abuse.
15 Warning Signs:
- Pushes for a quick involvement: “I’ve never loved anyone like this before”
- Jealousy: Excessively possessive, calling, texting, popping up where you are unexpectedly, questioning you who you with, where are you?
- Controlling: Interrogates you on your whereabouts, who talking to; how you dress; controls the money, wants you to ask permission to go anywhere.
- Isolation: Limits your contact with family, friends, in person or on social media, prevents you from working.
- Verbal Abuse: Criticizes you constantly, name calling, putting you down.
- Threats of Violence: “I’ll kick your ass; you will pay dearly
- Blames others for Mistakes: It is always someone else’s fault when things don’t go their way.
- Sudden Mood Swing: goes from loving to explosively violent behavior.
- Make Everyone Else Responsible for Their Feelings: You make me angry; You make me act this way, You hurt me when you don’t do what I ask.
- Hypersensitive: Carries on about injustices of everyday life.
- Playful Use of Force During Sex: Enjoys throwing you down or you holding you down against your will during sex.
- Rigid Sex Roles: “Serve, honor and obey”
- Unrealistic Expectations: Expects you to be perfect in every way according to their standards.
- Past Battering: Admits to hitting partners in the past but justifies the abuse.
- Cruelty to Animals and to Children: Punish or kills animals; Expects children to do things beyond their ability or teases them until they cry.
* If you answered yes to three or more of these behaviors, indicates your partner is a potential batterer.
