Violence: Are You At Risk?
Domestic and family violence occurs between people in a range of
domestic relationships including spousal relationships, intimate
personal relationships, family relationships and informal care
relationships. Victims may be male or female, young or old, any
cultures, any races, any financial status, and in any neighborhood.
Incidents of domestic and family violence may include the following:
physical abuse (including slapping, hitting,
punching, pushing, biting, kicking);
threats to hurt you, your relatives, or
friends in some way;
damage to property such as furniture, the
house, or pets in order to frighten and intimidate you;
emotional abuse (making you feel worthless,
criticizing your personality, your looks, the way you dress,
constantly putting you down, threatening to hurt you, your
children or your pets);
verbal abuse (including yelling, shouting,
name-calling, and swearing at you);
sexual abuse (forcing or pressuring you to
have sex or participate in any sexual activities that you don't
want to);
financial abuse (taking control of the money,
not giving you enough money to survive on, forcing you to hand
over your money, not letting you have a say in how it is spent);
threats to stop providing care for you if you
don't do what you are told, (for example, coercing you to sign
over any supplemental assistance such as Medicaid, Social
Security, or WIC). This also happens to people with an illness,
disability or impairment who rely on another person to care for
them.
social abuse (controlling where you go, not
letting you see your friends or family);
depriving you of the necessities of life such
as food, shelter, medical care and the company of other people
such as your family and friends;
spiritual abuse (forcing you to attend
religious activities against your wishes, prohibiting you from
participating in the religious practices of your choice);
stalking (constantly following you by foot or
car, constantly calling you by phone, text message and email, or
staying outside your house or workplace); or
threats or tactics which upset you or make
you fear for your safety.
If you or someone you know is experiencing any of the
characteristics listed here, help is available. The Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence website,
http://www.fcadv.org, has
information on safety planning, legal options, and links to local
centers that will have information on resources in your area. The
hotline number is 1-800-500-1119.
TOGETHER WE CAN END VIOLENCE!
