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Susquehanna Valley Women in Transition offers counseling, shelter and other emergency services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in Northumberland, Snyder and Union counties in Pennsylvania. |
What is Domestic Abuse?
Domestic abuse is any act which occurs within a close personal or family relationship which is used to exercise power and control over another person. Acts of domestic abuse, or battering, cause not only physical injury, but also the loss of trust, loss of personal safety in one’s own home and loss of control over one’s life. Domestic abuse is usually a pattern of behavior taking place over a period of time rather than an isolated incident.
Simply put, domestic abuse is “any act that causes the victim to do something she does not want to do, prevents her from doing something she wants to do, or causes her to be afraid.” Emerge (Batterer’s Program), Boston MA
There are five categories of domestic abuse:
- Physical Abuse
- slapping, shaking, beating, biting, pushing, pulling hair, shoving, pinching, kicking, restraining, tickling excessively and all other behaviors that hurt physically
- Verbal and/or Emotional Abuse
- driving recklessly, stalking, denying medical care, name calling, threats, accusations of sexual infidelity, humiliating privately or publicly, ignoring thoughts and feelings, isolating from family and friends and all other behaviors that hurt emotionally or make the victim afraid
- Sexual Abuse
- any forced or unwanted sexual contact
- Destruction of Property or Pets
- destruction or torture a pet or destruction of something of value to the victim
- Economic (Financial) Abuse
- not allowing equal access to financial information and/or resources, denying the opportunity to take part in financial decisions, preventing the victim from seeking employment or if employed taking or controlling the paycheck
