WHAT IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Relationship abuse is a problem that affects communities across the country. It crosses all races, social and economic backgrounds, cultures, and relationship types. Relationship abuse is not a private matter, a couple's problem, a domestic "squabble" or a "fight." It is not a momentary loss of temper or the abuse of alcohol and drugs.

Relationship abuse is a pattern of abusive tactics used by one person in a relationship to obtain and maintain power and control over the other person. Relationship violence is not an isolated instance of aggression. It is an atmosphere that is created by many forms of abuse and a cycle that increases over time in frequency and intensity.

Domestic Violence is a Crime!

Facts & Statistics

• Intimate partner violence accounts for 15% of all violent crime.
• On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. During one year, this equates to more than 10 million women and men.
• 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have been victims of some form of physical violence by an intimate partner within their lifetime.
• On a typical day, there are more than 20,000 phone calls placed to domestic violence hotlines nationwide.