Education is crucial to helping victims of domestic and sexual abuse. Below you will find some facts and statistics about abuse.
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What is abuse?
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
SEXUAL ASSAULT
Domestic Violence is a pattern of behavior used to establish power and control over another person through fear and intimidation, often including the threat of violence.
Acts of domestic violence generally fall into one or more categories:
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Physical battering: physical attacks or aggressive behavior
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Sexual abuse: forced sexual intercourse or unwanted sexual activity
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Psychological battering: constant verbal abuse, harassment, excessive possessiveness, isolating victims from friends and family, deprivation of physical and economic resources, and destruction of personal property.
Sexual assault is ay type of forced or unwanted sexual contact or behavior. Like domestic violence, sexual assault is about power and control, not love and attraction. You always have the right to say, "no" to any unwanted sexual act. Any unwanted sexual contact is NOT your fault
Acts of sexual assault include:
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Rape
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Attempted rape or incest
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Incest
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Child molestation
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Vaginal, anal, or oral penetration
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Inappropriate touching
Get help now!
If any of these things are happening or have happened to you, you may be in an abusive relationship.
Call the Family Crisis Council's 24-hour Crisis Line at 704-636-4718. ex. 1
Because battering is an ongoing pattern of behavior, domestic acts of violence are rarely a one-time event. The violence may get worse and more frequent over a period o time. It often begins with threats, name-calling, violence in your presence (such as punching a fist through a wall), or damage to objects or pets. It may escalate to restraining, pushing, slapping, pinching, kicking, biting or sexual assault. Finally, it may become life-threatening and include choking, strangulation, breaking bones, and the use of weapons.
If you are sexually assaulted:
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Call 9-1-1 immediately; getting medical attention is very important.
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Do not change clothes, shower, brush your teeth or hair.
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Do not eat or drink anything.
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If you have already removed clothing, transport the items in paper bags. (Plastic bags can cause physical evidence to be jeopardized due to moisture retention).
The facts of interpersonal violence:
Get your safety plan ready
Your safety is the most important thing!
Remember not to rely only on a protective order for your safety.
Make a personal safety plan as well!
Click Here to Download A Personalized Safety Plan Form
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When you have an argument with your abuser, avoid any room without a door to the outside. Identify the room that you believe is the safest and try to move to that room. Such as rooms without weapons such as guns and knifes.
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Keep a small bag of items, such as a fully charged cell phone, change of clothing, $50 in cash, ATM cards, checkbooks, identification cards, birth certificates, social security cards, spare car/house keys, copies of protective orders, custody papers, important medications and other important documents in a location where you can access it quickly. These can be left with someone you trust.
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Think about family members, friends or agencies (Family Crisis Council) that you could safely stay with if you had to leave your home.
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If you are in danger and are unable to speak freely on a phone, consider using a code word or phrase to alert family members or friends that you are in danger. Use caution when sharing this code word or phrase with your children.
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Take another route to school or work if you are concerned that your abuser may try to follow you. Ask someone to walk with you to your car when you leave.
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Change passwords on all of your social media accounts. Remember that these accounts may track your location, especially if you have GPS tracking enabled on your cell phone or mobile device.
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Tell your children that, if there is violence, their job is to stay safe, not to protect you and call 911.
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To prevent parental kidnapping, make fingerprints of your children and keep them in a safe place. The Family Crisis Council can help with a protective order that may include a temporary custody order.
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Remember, when leaving your abuser that moment is the most dangerous time for you. You may want to leave when he/she is not present or with law enforcement.