A pattern of assaultive and coercive behaviors, including physical, sexual, and psychological attacks, as well as economic coercion characterizes spousal abuse. Behaviors include shoving, pushing, destruction of valuables, hurting pets and loved ones- even children. Physical violence may lead to broken bones, head injury, vision loss, and death. Among victims, emotional abuse leads to a broken spirit and feelings of hopelessness, helplessness and oppression. Domestic abuse knows no boundaries.
Domestic violence is cyclical, from explosion to remorse to explosion.
Women and men are victims. Often one spouse inflicts abuse on another but both spouses may also hurt each other. Children in these families are our most vulnerable victims. The majority of battered women have children who are hurt physically and emotionally by the violence in their homes. More than half the children whose mothers are battered are likely to be physically abused themselves.