What is Intimate Partner Violence?
Intimate Partner Violence, formerly known as Domestic Violence, is a pattern of coercive and controlling behavior that includes physical abuse, emotional or psychological abuse, sexual abuse and/or financial abuse between two partners (NNEDV, 2017). In addition, some abusers are able to control their victims without ever using violence but by subtle threats of violence instead.
What Does IPV Look Like?
Physical abuse may include:
- Hitting, punching, kicking, slapping, strangling, smothering, and other actions that cause bodily harm
- Using or threatening to use weapons
- Throwing things
- Destroying property
- Hurting or killing pets
- Denying medical treatment
Sexual abuse may include:
- Physically forcing sex
- Making you feel fearful about saying ‘no’ to sex
- Forcing sex with other partners
- Forcing you to participate in demeaning or degrading sexual acts
- Violence or name calling during sex
- Denying contraception or protection for sexually transmitted diseases
Emotional abuse may include:
- Constant critisicms
- Name calling or put downs
- Making you feel crazy, or gaslighting you
- Acting superior
- Minimizing the abuse your blaming you for their behavior
- Isolating you from friends and family
- Excessive jealousy, accusing you of having affairs
- Monitoring where you go and who you talk to
Financial abuse may include:
- Giving you an allowance
- Not letting you have your own money
- Hiding family assets
- Running up debt
- Interfering with your job
- Ruining your credit
“Red Flags” and Warning Signs of IPV
Does your partner:
- Have to know where you are at all times?
- Want to move too quickly?
- Discourage your relationships with friends and family?
- Want you all to themselves?
- Check your cellphone for unknown numbers?
- Disrespect your boundaries?
- Constantly criticize everything you do?
- Blame you for anything that goes wrong?
- Humiliate or insult you in front of others?
If you or someone you know
is currently experiencing intimate partner violence, please know you are not alone and it is not your fault. Hilltop’s Latimer House can provide ongoing support services to anyone experiencing (or has experienced) intimate partner violence with safety, trust, advocacy, and support.
- Destroy your personal property or sentimental items?
- Constantly accuse you of being unfaithful?
- Pinch, push, shake, pull, punch, kck, strangle, restrain, or throw you?
- Deny you medical attention after a blow up?
- Threaten to hurt you, your children, or your pets?
- Force you into sexual acts?
- Threaten you if you refuse sex?
- Withhold affection?
- Call you sexual names?
Please explore the following resources by the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV)
Please note that clicking any of the above links to resources will direct you straight to each resource website. In doing so, we cannot guarantee that the information you access will not be traceable on the device you are on.
If you or a loved one needs help
Reach out to Hilltop Domestic Violence Services’ trained, knowledgeable, and compassionate staff members who are here to assist you on the road to healing, recovery, personal growth, and empowerment. You are not alone.
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