What is Domestic Violence?  Domestic violence is also referred to as domestic abuse, intimate partner violence and sometimes family violence.

Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behavior in a relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another person through fear, intimidation, and often the threat or use of violence.

Domestic violence also includes actions or threats of actions used to manipulate, coerce, or control another person and compel them to submit to the will of the abuser.

Domestic violence can be physical, sexual, emotional, psychological, verbal, or nonverbal.

Stalking is also a common component of domestic violence and often continues during or after a relationship has ended. Stalking behaviors may include repeatedly calling, texting, or messaging the survivor; monitoring their whereabouts; showing up uninvited at their home, workplace, or other locations; using technology to track their movements; or contacting friends, family members, or coworkers to gather information about them.

Many survivors have never heard of the term economic abuse, yet it is a frequently used tactic of power and control. Economic abuse can include, but is not limited to, controlling access to money, interfering with employment or education, and creating debt in the survivor’s name.

Domestic violence can also involve spiritual abuse, such as using religious beliefs to justify abusive behavior or controlling a survivor’s religious or spiritual practices, including preventing them from attending religious services.