A woman sitting on the floor with her feet in front of another person.

Comprehensive Understanding of Domestic Abuse

At Thru The Eyes of The Community Inc., we provide a comprehensive understanding of domestic abuse, which is more than just physical violence. It's a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one partner against another. This can be carried out by adults or adolescents against their current or former partners, and we refer to this as "intimate partner violence" (IPV).

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Defined

  • Patterns of assault and coercive behaviors
  • Perpetrated by adults or adolescents against current or former partners

Four Types of Abuse

Physical Abuse

  • Scratching, biting, grabbing, spitting, shoving, punching, choking, and burning
  • Using objects or weapons
  • Withholding necessities like food and medication

Rape and Sexual Abuse

  • Jealousy, withholding sex, and pressuring for sexual acts
  • Coercing uncomfortable or degrading sexual activities
  • Inflicting gender-specific injuries and denying contraception

Psychological Abuse

  • Verbal attacks, criticism, and humiliation
  • Attacking vulnerabilities, playing mind games, ignoring feelings
  • Withholding approval, threatening to leave, being unfaithful

Economic Abuse

  • Controlling money and financial decisions
  • Preventing employment or education opportunities
  • Ruining credit ratings and refusing to work

Signs of Abuse

Are you experiencing abuse? Check for signs:

Physical Abuse

  • Partner hits you, threatens you with objects or weapons
  • Inflicts visible injuries and makes you fear their reactions
  • Controls your time and activities

Sexual Abuse

  • Pressures you for sex and displays anger if denied
  • Engages in humiliating behavior and accuses you of affairs

Psychological Abuse

  • Monitors your actions, isolates you, criticizes, and manipulates
  • Forces apologies, dampens your enthusiasm, and instills fear

Economic Abuse

  • Demands an account of your spending and resents your work
  • Controls finances and belittles your achievements

If you said yes, you might be in an abusive relationship. Call ALIVE for help.

Characteristics of Domestic Violence

  • Pattern of Repeated Behaviors
  • It is not an isolated incident but a recurring pattern

National Statistics:

Missouri has the third-highest rate of people who have experienced domestic
violence.

About 41.8% of Missouri women and 35.2% of men are victims of domestic violence.

Every 9 seconds in the US, a woman is assaulted or beaten. On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by intimate partners in the United States.

During one year, this equates to more than 10 million women and men.

On a typical day, there are more than 20,000 phone calls placed to domestic
violence hotlines nationwide.

19% of domestic violence involves a weapon.

Intimate partner violence accounts for 15% of all violent crimes.

Women between the ages of 18-24 are most commonly abused by intimate partners.

A man and woman are sitting on the bus.

Teen Dating Abuse

We offer essential assistance to victims of domestic abuse, with a strong focus on counseling, shelter, and raising awareness. Our dedication extends to educating teenagers about healthy dating relationships.

Start making a difference today:

  • 1 in 13 high schoolers experience dating violence each year.
  • Shockingly, 33% of teenagers in abusive relationships choose to suffer in silence.

Join us in our mission to combat this widespread issue with competence and sincerity.

Empowerment through Technology

Discover essential safety guidance, valuable insights, and privacy recommendations for survivors when navigating technology. It is brought to you by the National Network to End Domestic Violence and the Safety Net Project.

Ready to reach out and start your journey toward healing and support? Contact us today to connect with our caring team.

A Toolkit for Survivors
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