Nov 3, 2007 9:00 pm US/Central
21 Things To Know About Domestic Violence
(SafeHaven of Tarrant County)
1. If you need help, call SafeHaven of Tarrant County's 24 hour hotline: 877-701-7233.
2. Domestic violence typically worsens over time.
3. One in three women have been victims of domestic violence at some point during their lives.
4. On average, more than three women are murdered by their intimate partners in the United States every day.
5. Each day in the United States, more than 3 children die as a result of abuse at home.
6. As many as 10 million children witness domestic violence each year in the U.S.
7. A child's exposure to the father abusing the mother is the strongest risk factor for transmitting violent behavior from one generation to the next.
8. One in five high school aged girls will be physically and/or sexually abused in a dating relationship, increasing the likelihood that the girl will abuse drugs and/or alcohol, develop an eating disorder, consider and/or attempt suicide, engage in risky behavior and/or become pregnant.
9. Over 324,000 pregnant women are involved in abusive relationships each year.
10. An abuser's unemployment, access to guns and threats of deadly violence are the strongest warning signs of female homicide in abusive relationships.
11. The health-related costs of rape, physical assault, stalking and homicide committed by intimate partners is more than $5.8 billion each year. Warning signs of abusive behaviors include:
- Pushing, shoving, holding you against your will, preventing you from leaving.
- Slapping, biting, choking, hitting, punching, throwing things at you. Subjecting you to reckless driving.
- Threatening or hurting you with a weapon or object.
- Raping you or forcing sex.
- Accusing you of having sex with others.
- Insulting or driving away your family and friends, isolates you.
- Humiliating you in public or private.
- Punishing or depriving kids when mad at you, abuses pets.
- Keeping you from working, controlling your money, refusing to work.
- Criticizing you, calling you names, shouting at you
- Insulting your beliefs, religion, race or class.
12. Most victims believe that children do know about the abuse that they are enduring with their significant other; however most children report witnessing, hearing and observing injuries to their parent.
13. Male privilege due to cultural or religious beliefs is not a valid reason to harm you partner emotionally or physically.
14. The most dangerous time for a woman and her child is when she decides to leave the relationship.
15. Victims of family violence seeking additional information on the internet should be very cautious as there are multiple site tracking devises that can be installed on computers.
16. Some newer cell phone models include a GPS devise that can place victims at risk when trying to escape abusive partners.
17. Victims should develop a safety plan that includes an escape route during a violent attack.
18. Victims and children are eligible for counseling and case management serves at SafeHaven by identifying themselves as a survivor of domestic violence (or even perceived domestic violence) on one or more occasion during their life span.
19. Secondary survivors (Parents of domestic violence victims, adult siblings…) are eligible to receive counseling and case management at the SafeHaven of Tarrant County Resource Center-located in Fort Worth and Arlington).
20. Domestic violence is not your fault. For the violence to stop while maintaining the relationship, the abuser must recognize the issue as his problem and be willing to seek help and make life changing behavioral changes.
21. You are not alone, there are people who can help you.
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