Issues We Focus On

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Domestic violence is a pattern of coercive and/or violent tactics perpetrated by one person against a family member or intimate partner, with the goal of establishing and maintaining power and control over that person. Domestic violence can happen in all kinds of intimate relationships, including married couples, people who are dating, couples who live together, people with children in common, same-sex or gender-nonconforming partners, people who were formerly in a relationship with the person abusing them, and teen dating relationships.

Domestic violence includes behaviors that physically harm, arouse fear, prevent a partner from doing what they wish, or force them to behave in ways they do not want. It includes the use of physical and sexual violence, threats and intimidation, emotional abuse, and economic deprivation. Many of these different forms of domestic violence/abuse can be occurring at any one time within the same intimate relationship.

SEXUAL VIOLENCE

Sexual violence means that someone forces or manipulates someone else into unwanted sexual activity without their consent. Reasons someone might not consent include fear, age, illness, disability, and/or influence of alcohol or other drugs. Anyone can experience sexual violence including: children, teens, adults, elders, and people of any gender. Those who sexually abuse can be acquaintances, family members, trusted individuals, intimate partners, or strangers.

Forms of sexual violence include:

• Rape or sexual assault

• Child sexual assault and incest

• Intimate partner sexual assault

• Unwanted sexual contact/touching

• Sexual harassment

• Sexual exploitation

• Showing one’s genitals or naked body to other(s) without consent

• Masturbating in public

• Watching someone in a private act without their knowledge or permission

STALKING

Stalking means engaging in a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to fear for his or her safety or the safety of others or suffer substantial emotional distress.  Stalking is serious, often violent, and can escalate over time.

Some things stalkers do:

• Follow you and show up wherever you are.

• Send unwanted gifts, letters, cards, or e-mails.

• Damage your home, car, or other property.

• Monitor your phone calls or computer use.

• Use technology, like hidden cameras or global positioning systems (GPS), to track where you go.

• Drive by or hang out at your home, school, or work.

• Threaten to hurt you, your family, friends, or pets.

• Find out about you by using public records or online search services, hiring investigators, going through your garbage, or contacting friends, family, neighbors, or co-workers.

• Posting information or spreading rumors about you on the Internet, in a public place, or by word of mouth.

• Other actions that control, track, or frighten you.

DATING VIOLENCE

Dating violence is controlling, abusive, and aggressive behavior in a romantic relationship. It can happen in straight or gay relationships. It can include verbal, emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, or a combination.

Controlling behavior may include:

• Not letting you hang out with your friends; calling or texting you frequently to find out where you are, whom you're with, and what you're doing; telling you what to wear; and having to be with you all the time.

Verbal and emotional abuse may include:

• Calling you names, jealousy, belittling you (cutting you down), threatening to hurt you, someone in your family, or himself or herself if you don't do what he or she wants.

Physical abuse may include:

• Shoving, punching, slapping, pinching, hitting, kicking, hair pulling, and strangling.

Sexual abuse may include:

• Unwanted touching and kissing, forcing you to have sex, not letting you use birth control, and forcing you to do other sexual things.