What is Abuse?
Domestic violence, also known as intimate partner violence, is a pattern of abusive and coercive behaviors used to maintain power and control over a former or current intimate partner.
An abuser may use one or multiple forms of abuse, including: emotional, verbal, physical, sexual, mental, financial, and digital abuse.
Sexual assault is forced, manipulated, or coerced sexual activity.
It is a crime in which the assailant uses sex to inflict humiliation on the survivor, to exert power and control over the survivor, or to use the survivor to attain sexual gratification without regard for the victim’s consent.
Abuse affects people of all cultures, races, genders, occupations, income levels, ages, abilities, and sexual orientations.
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Nearly 3 in 10 women (29%) and 1 in 10 men (10%) in the US have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by a partner and reported it having a related impact on their functioning.
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Intimate partner violence alone affects more than 12 million people every year.
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Nationwide, 81% of women and 43% of men reported experiencing some form of sexual harassment and/or assault in their lifetime.
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Domestic Violence is a pattern of assault and coercive behaviors, used to attain power over another person. This violence takes many forms and can happen once in a while or all the time. Although each situation is different, there are common warning signs or red-flag behaviors to look out for, including those listed in the power and control wheel (below). Knowing these signs is an important step in preventing and stopping violence.
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Sexual violence is forced, manipulated, or coerced sexual activity. It includes any non-consensual sexual advance; such as sexual assault, rape, exposure, and sexual harassment. Men and women can commit acts of sexual violence, and the perpetrator can be someone you know such as a friend, spouse, teacher or acquaintance, or a stranger. Sexual violence is not about love or sex; the act is motivated by the need to have power and control.
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Teen dating violence, like domestic violence, is a pattern of destructive behaviors used to exert power and control over a dating partner. Abuse affects all types of relationships, not just long-term or committed relationships. However, often violence that happens between dating teens is viewed/addressed differently than abuse in a relationship between two cohabitating or intimately involved adults.
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Stalking is unwanted pursuit, contact, intimidation, or harassment with the attempt to make a person afraid. New Beginnings work focuses on assisting victims of current or former intimate partner stalking.
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Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act. Anyone at any age from any country can be involved in human trafficking, even citizens of New Hampshire.
Power & Control Wheel
Physical and sexual assaults are the most obvious forms of abuse and are typically what makes the problem apparent. However, physical violence is only a portion of the larger system of abuse used to maintain power and control over an intimate or dating partner's life.
The Power and Control Wheel demonstrates how an abuser uses different tactics and aspects of a person's life to maintain control over their partner. It is common that violent, physical acts are accompanied by one or more of these other forms of abuse. Other forms of abuse are less easily identified than physical violence, but still play a significant part of creating a pattern of abuse.
