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24 Hour Services for Victims of Domestic Violence in Abbeville, Laurens and Saluda Counties |
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Laurens County SAFE Home |
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Domestic Violence |
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Domestic Violence is:
A pattern of abusive behaviors that is assaultive and coercive. Physical, sexual, and psychological attacks, as well as economic coercion. Directed by adults or adolescents towards their intimate partners
About Domestic Violence
Domestic Violence is a pattern of abusive behaviors that is assaultive and coercive; physical, sexual, and/or psychological attacks, as well as economic coercion; directed by adults or adolescents towards their intimate partners. It is a learned and culturally reinforced pattern of behavior that, without intervention, becomes more destructive over time.
Battering is a pattern of behavior used to establish power and control over another person through fear and intimidation, often including the threat or use of violence. Battering happens when one person believes they are entitled to control another. Assault, battering and domestic violence are crimes.
Domestic Violence can take many forms. Battering may include emotional abuse, economic abuse, sexual abuse, using children, threats, using male privilege, intimidation, isolation, and a variety of other behaviors used to maintain fear, intimidation and power. In all cultures, the perpetrators are most commonly the men of the family. Women are most commonly the victims of violence. Elder and child abuse are also prevalent. Acts of domestic violence generally fall into one or more of the following categories:
1. Physical Abuse - The abuser’s physical attacks or aggressive behavior can range from bruising to murder. It often begins with what is excused as trivial contacts which escalate into more frequent and serious attacks.
2. Sexual Abuse - Physical attack by the abuser is often accompanied by, or culminates in, sexual violence wherein the woman is forced to have sexual intercourse with her abuser or take part in unwanted sexual activity.
3. Psychological Battering -The abuser’s psychological or mental violence can include constant verbal abuse, harassment, excessive possessiveness, isolating the woman from friends and family, deprivation of physical and economic resources, and destruction of personal property.
Examples of Abusive Behaviors
Physical Abuse- Examples of physical abuse include hitting with an open or closed hand, restraining, blocking, choking, hitting with objects, spitting, poking, grabbing, shoving, pushing, throwing, beating, kicking, using weapons, burning, controlling victim's access to health resources, etc. Sexual Abuse- Examples of sexual abuse include pressure or coercion for sex through a variety of tactics, forcing sex in front of others or third parties, physically forcing or harming the victim sexually, etc. Psychological Abuse- Examples of psychological abuse includes violent acts against children or others to control an intimate partner; threats of violence against victim, others, or self; intimidation through attacks against pets or property; yelling; stalking; controlling the victim's activities; isolating the victim; controlling the victim's access to resources such as medications, doctors, automobile, friends, other family, schooling, employment, child care; emotional abuse; verbal abuse; forcing the victim to do degrading things; controlling the victim's schedules and activities including sleeping, eating, social activities, etc.
Psychological abuse may also involve the use of children to control an adult victim (hostage taking of children, physical or sexual abuse of children, custody fights, using the children to monitor and control the adult victim, etc.).
Psychological abuse also often involves control over the victim's financial stability (withholding funds, making all financial decisions, spending with no regard for the victim or household budget, not contributing financially to the family, controlling access to money, investments, life and health insurance, etc.).
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