The Continuum Of Violence
- Verbal Abuse and Emotional Abuse
- Threats Of Violence
- Direct Physical Violence
- Severe Physical Abuse
- Conventional Weapons
- DEATH
Domestic violence is a PATTERN of behavior that seeks to establish power and control over another person through
fear and intimidation. It often includes the threat or use of violence. Battering happens when batterers believe they are entitled
to control their partners. They believe that violence is acceptable and will produce the desired results.
- Not all battering is physical. Battering includes emotional abuse, economic abuse, sexual abuse, threats to and about
children, using "male privilege," intimidation, isolation and other behaviors used to induce fear and establish power.
- Battering escalates. It may begin with name-calling or punching through a wall or kicking a pet. Next steps may be pushing,
slapping, pinching, punching, kicking, biting, tripping, throwing or restraining. It often includes sexual assault. It may lead to
choking, the breaking of bones, other life-threatening incidents and DEATH.
- Although there is no profile of the women who will be battered, there is a well-documented syndrome of what happens once the
battering starts. Battered women experience shame, embarrassment, isolation, repression of feelings, and may be prevented by
control and fear from planning or acting on their own behalf. Women may not leave battering immediately because they realistically
fear that the batterer will become more violent if they attempt to leave; there are few supports to their leaving; they know the
difficulties of single parenting in reduced financial circumstances; there is a mix of good times-love-hope along with the
manipulation-intimidation-fear; and they may not know about or have access to safety and support.
