Domestic Violence Prevention Program

About 1 in 4 women and 1 in 10 men have experienced contact sexual violence, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetime and reported at least one impact of the violence (https://ncadv.org/statistics, 2021). Click here to learn the statistics in California.

Over 43 million women and about 38 million men experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner in their lifetime?

Domestic violence doesn’t discriminate; all people of all race, age, gender, sexuality, religion, education level, economic status, belief systems or values can be  a victim — or perpetrator — of domestic violence. That includes behaviors that physically harm, intimidate, manipulate or control a partner, or otherwise force them to behave in ways they don’t want to, including through physical violence, threats, emotional abuse, psychological abuse, gaslighting, sexual abuse, financial control and more. Remember, domestic violence is about POWER AND CONTROL. It is not an illness. It is not a disease. It is a CHOICE. But is also preventable.

If you are in a life-threatening situation, please dial 9-1-1, If you need to talk, call the 24/7 National Domestic Violence Hotline 888-799-SAFE (7223), If you think you may be in an abusive relationship, you are not alone! There are resources that can help you.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE DEFINED

Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive and controlling behaviors in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner.

Domestic violence can impact people of all race, age, gender, sexuality, religion, education level, economic status, belief systems or values can be  a victim — or perpetrator — of domestic violence. That includes behaviors that physically harm, intimidate, manipulate or control a partner, or otherwise force them to behave in ways they don’t want to, including through physical violence, threats, emotional abuse, psychological abuse, gaslighting, sexual abuse, financial control and more (www.thehotline.org). Remember, domestic violence is about POWER AND CONTROL. It is not an illness. It is not a disease. It is a CHOICE.

Multiple forms of abuse are usually present at the same time in abusive situations, and it’s essential to understand how these behaviors interact so you know the signs of an abuse relationship. 

Red Flags of an Abusive Relationship

It is not always easy to tell at the beginning of a relationship if it will become abusive. In fact, many abusers may seem “perfect” on the surface as if they are the dream partner in the early stages of a relationship. Possessive and controlling behaviors do not always appear overnight, but rather emerge and intensify as the relationship grows. According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, here are some red flags that you may be in an abusive behavior:

If you are in a life-threatening situation, please dial 9-1-1

If you need to talk, call the 24/7 National Domestic Violence Hotline 888-799-SAFE (7223)

If you think you may be in an abusive relationship, you are not alone! There are resources that can help you.

HEALTHY, UNHEALTHY, AND ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS

Healthy Relationships

The most effective way to prevent abusive relationships, is through educating the community, especially teens and young adults, on what safe and healthy relationships look like. 

Some examples of what a healthy relationship looks like are:

Unhealthy Relationships

Some relationships find themselves in between healthy and abusive, and these are simply called unhealthy relationships. Many people contend with unhealthy relationships daily, but the key difference in these types of relationships versus abusive relationships are power, control and harm. 

Some examples of an unhealthy relationship qualities are:

Abusive Relationships

Abusive relationships may or may not start abusive. While there can be some red flags, it is not always easy to predict that your partner may become abusive. In fact, many abusers are known to be very outgoing, charismatic, and the "life of the party." It is also common for abusers to be very aesthetically attractive, successful and have a great career. Control and power are the roots of domestic violence, however, that is not the only factor. Oftentimes abusers come from abusive households growing up, have been violent in a relationship before but claims to have changed, and/or may have trouble with drugs and alcohol. 

Some examples of what abusive relationship looks like are:

DV Awareness 2023 FINAL.pdf