About Domestic Violence
Domestic Violence Fact Sheet
1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced some form of physical abuse from an intimate partner.
In the United States...
In Orange County, NC...
-
15.5 million children are exposed to domestic violence every year.
-
Intimate partner violence accounts for 15% of all violent crime.
-
More than half of female homicide victims are killed in connection with intimate partner violence.
-
Chapel Hill PD responded to over 20 domestic violence-related calls per week in 2016 (only 1 of 7 police departments in the county).
-
Compass Center served over 1,189 clients experiencing domestic violence in 2017.
Understanding Domestic Violence
What is Domestic Abuse?
A pattern of intentionally violent or controlling behavior used by a person against a family member or intimate partner to gain and maintain power and control over that person, during and/or after the relationship.
Hallmarks of domestic violence include the
3 Ps—Planned, Purposeful, and Progressive.
Domestic Abuse can include physical abuse but does not have to. Types of “intentionally violent or controlling behavior” include sexual abuse, economic or financial abuse, emotional abuse, verbal abuse, stalking and isolation.
Emotional Abuse
Emotional abuse includes:
controlling your schedule, limiting phone use and/or monitor calls, persistently calling you at work to check up, calling you names, threatening family, friends, and pets, and destroying property.
Financial Abuse
Financial abuse is one of the main reasons people stay in abusive relationships. Financial abuse could include: giving you an allowance, not giving you access to a bank account, ruining your credit, and interfering with your ability to work.
Many victims stay in abusive relationships out of fear, shame, financial dependency, immigration status, cultural considerations, and religion.
No one deserves to be abused.
No one, except the abuser, is responsible for the abuse.
The abuser is making a choice to abuse someone. It isn’t “just the way that they are” or a relationship “gone bad”. Domestic violence is a repeated choice that the abuser is responsible for. When one person is afraid of the other, a dynamic of power and control enters the relationship.
Please view the classic Power & Control wheel (English | Spanish) – a tool to help people understand how an abuser gains and maintains power and control over someone.
An LGBTQ Power & Control wheel is available as well.
The “Equality” wheel views qualities of healthy relationships.
What Can I Do?
If you are or know someone who is a victim of Domestic Abuse, please view our services or contact our crisis hotline at 919-929-7122.
What else can you do?
-
Tell others about Compass Center and our services.
-
Be supportive and believe others. Express concern and ASK if they are okay, especially if they don’t seem to be doing well.
-
Speak out when others make victim-blaming comments.
-
Educate your children about domestic violence, and teach them that no one deserves to be abused.
Please see our post How Can I Help for more information.