Domestic Violence

If you are a victim of domestic violence, contact your local authorities immediately, or call 1-800-799-7233 and speak to someone at the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

Domestic violence is defined as the physical, emotional, sexual, or verbal abuse, or threats and intimidation that occur in a relationship in order to exercise power and control over the victim. Several examples from the source: Ohio Domestic Violence Network Protocol for Health Care Providers: Standards of Care* include the following:

• VERBAL ABUSE: yelling, name calling, threatening to hurt or kill, degrading women in general, criticizing appearance, belittling accomplishments, constant blaming
• EMOTIONAL MANIPULATION: apologizing and making false promises to end the abuse; offering false hope, isolating from others, abusing pets, ignoring, withholding affection, neglecting physical or emotional needs, ridiculing, criticizing, blaming, accusing of affairs, monitoring conversations, making account for time, criticizing friends, family, constant phone calls/pages, embarrassing in front of others, undermining authority with children
• FINANCIAL/RESOURCE ABUSE: taking or breaking phone, controlling money/bank accounts, withholding financial information, making account for expenditures, withholding child support, destroying property, taking or disabling car, taking keys/purse, quitting or losing jobs, running up debts, sabotaging work or school
• SEXUAL ABUSE: constant sexual demands, forcing unwanted sexual acts, committing rape or incest, forcing sadistic sexual acts, treating others as sex objects
• PHYSICAL ABUSE: holding down, hair pulling, poking, grabbing, pushing, shoving, locking in or out of house, subjecting to reckless driving, burning, throwing or hitting with objects, using a knife or gun, kicking, biting, hitting, slapping, choking, strangling, refusing to help when sick or injured

*ODVN page 18 http://www.odvn.org/PDFs/NSC%20Standards%20of%20Care.pdf

Much thanks to Anita Patterson for the photo.