Relationship Violence can include physical abuse, emotional abuse, verbal abuse, sexual abuse, mental abuse, and can be manifested in any of the following ways: slapping, hitting, kicking, shoving, grabbing, choking and biting, the destruction of personal property, prevention from seeing friends and family, belittlement in public and/or private, forceful sex, threats of harming, prevention from going to class/work, controlling & jealous behavior.
Stalking can often begin when an individual has decided to finally leave a domestic violent situation. This is especially true in situations where threats such as “If I can’t have you, nobody will” have been made.
Recently states began to look at “spousal rape” as a serious issue and it is considered to be a third degree felony. Women have a 1 in 4 chances of being sexually assaulted during their college years 98% of victims knew their perpetrators.
Child Sexual Abuse
Approximately 3.3 million children witness violence toward their mothers each year. It’s not unusual to have a perpetrator who abuses their spouse, also abuse the children in the home. Many child victims have a greater risk for being re-victimized later in life.