You are not alone and there are many resources available to help you. No one deserves to be battered. Pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to abuse. Every 15 seconds the crime of battering occurs. Women are 12 times more likely to be killed by a known offender than by a stranger.
Violence can occur in both heterosexual and lesbian relationships.
The victims are from all walks of life. The crime of battering cuts across all racial and cultural groups of people in our society. Abuse imposed on women by their partners can take the form of physical battering, sexual abuse or psychological abuse. Physical battering involves attacks on women's bodies by the perpetrator including slapping, punching, kicking, choking or assault with a weapon. These assaults can cause intimidation, injury and death.