Domestic Violence Resources
What is Domestic Violence?
According to the OVW (Office on Violence Against Women), Domestic Violence can be defined as, “A pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner. Domestic violence can be physical, sexual, emotional, economic, psychological, or technological actions or threats of actions or other patterns of coercive behavior that influence another person within an intimate partner relationship. This includes any behaviors that intimidate, manipulate, humiliate, isolate, frighten, terrorize, coerce, threaten, blame, hurt, injure, or wound someone.”
Often times when people hear “domestic violence”, physical abusive and bruises come to mind. Check out the Power and Control Wheel Diagram and discover all the ways perpetrators gain power and control!
Did you know…
1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will experience domestic violence in their lifetime.
An estimated 5.3 million women are victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year.
Females who are 20-24 years of age are at the greatest risk of nonfatal intimate partner violence.
A woman is assaulted or beaten every 9 seconds in the US.
Domestic violence victims lose nearly 8 million days of paid work per year in the US alone - the equivalent of 32,000 full-time jobs.
Men who witnessed their parents’ domestic violence were twice as likely to abuse their own wives than sons of nonviolent parents.
75% of domestic homicides occur when the victim is in the process of leaving or has left the batterer.
On average, women make seven attempts to leave an abuser before permanently ending the relationship.
Almost one-third of female homicide victims that are reported in police records are killed by an intimate partner.
The most dangerous times for victims are when: victims are attempting to leave, when the victim is pregnant, and when the victim is filing divorce papers/order of protections/etc.
Lethality Assessment Program (LAP)
The LAP is an 11-question assessment that law enforcement can administer to victims of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) to determine the level of “risk” in their relationship. If the assessment determines that someone is at “high risk”, law enforcement gets the victim connected to their local domestic violence agency for services/resources.
Click here for a copy of the assessment
Safety Planning
What is a safety plan?
A verbal or written practical plan with ways to remain safe while you are in, planning to leave, or after you leave an abusive relationship.
Safety plans are crucial because domestic violence can be dangerous and unpredictable.
How do I make a safety plan?
Call our 24-hour crisis line and speak to one of our advocates. We can help tailor a safety plan to best fit your situation/needs. All calls are confidential.
Visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline website and fill out their interactive safety plan guide.
This website is an amazing resource for domestic violence survivors. It provides information on how to identify abuse, how to get help, and how to heal. They provide this information through different tools such as podcasts, online forums, webinars, and events. To find a shelter near you, type in your zip code and this website will give you info for your area.
“The mission of the Coalition is to end domestic and sexual violence in the lives of Tennesseans and to change societal attitudes and institutions that promote and condone violence, through public policy advocacy, education and activities that increase the capacity of programs and communities to address such violence”