What is domestic violence?

Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive conduct by a partner or intimate family member that includes physical, sexual, and psychological attacks as well as economic coercion.

It is characterized by one partner’s need to control the other by a use of a range of tactics which can include but are not limited to the following behaviors that:

  • frighten
  • terrorize
  • manipulate
  • hurt
  • humliate
  • blame
  • often injure
  • and sometimes kill

that are directed towards a current or former intimate partner.

(See http://www.vawnet.org/elearning/DVBasics/player.html )