Any domestic violence case has the potential for serious physical injury or death. If the batterer shows one or more of the following indicators, anyone involved should immediately take all reasonable precautions to protect the victim and any others who may be at risk. Threats Explicit or implicit threats Talk of or attempts at homicide or suicide Take all threats seriously. Persons who threaten violence should be considered dangerous. Someone has to have the upper-hand in a relationship.
Relationships based on mutual respect, sharing, and caring are more healthy and satisfying.
Many of the physical injuries sustained by women seem to cause medical difficulties as women grow older. Arthritis, hypertension and heart disease have been caused or aggravated by domestic violence that occurred early in their adult lives. Emotional and psychological abuse inflicted by batterers may be just as expensive to treat as physical injury. Battered women lose their jobs because of absenteeism due to illness as a result of the violence. Absences occasioned by court appearances also jeopardize women's livelihood.