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What is Battering?
Battering is behavior used to control another person through fear
and intimidation, often including use of violence. Battering happens when one person believes they are entitled to control
another. Assault, battering and domestic violence are crimes.
Definitions: Abuse of family members can take many forms.
Battering may include emotional abuse, economic abuse, sexual abuse, using children, threats, using male privilege, intimidation,
isolation, and a variety of other behaviors used to maintain fear, intimidation and power. In all cultures, the perpetrators
are most commonly the men of the family. Women are most commonly the victims of violence. Elder and child abuse are also prevalent.
Acts of domestic violence generally fall into one or more of the following categories:
Physical Battering - The abuser's
physical attacks or aggressive behavior can range from bruising to murder. It often begins with what is excused as trivial
contacts which escalate into more frequent and serious attacks.
Sexual Abuse - Physical attack by the abuser is often
accompanied by, or culminates in, sexual violence wherein the woman is forced to have sexual intercourse with her abuser or
take part in unwanted sexual activity.
Psychological Battering - The abuser's psychological or mental violence can
include constant verbal abuse, harassment, excessive possessiveness, isolating the woman from friends and family, deprivation
of physical and economic resources, and destruction of personal property.
Battering escalates. It often begins with
behaviors like threats, name calling, violence in her presence (such as punching a fist through a wall), and/or damage to
objects or pets. It may escalate to restraining, pushing, slapping, and/or pinching. The battering may include punching, kicking,
biting, sexual assault, tripping, throwing. Finally, it may become life-threatening with serious behaviors such as choking,
breaking bones, or the use of weapons.
HOW ABOUT YOU?
If you answer yes to even one of the following questions, you may be in an
abusive relationship.
Does your partner....
- Call you bad names or put you down?
- Control what you do,
who you see or talk to, or where you go?
- Stop you from seeing or talking to friends or family?
- Take
your money, make you ask for money, or refuse to give you money?
- Make all the decisions?
- Tell
you you're a bad parent or threaten to take away or hurt your children?
- Look at you or act in ways that scare
you?
- Act like the abuse in no big deal, it's your fault, or even deny doing it?
- Destroy
your property or threaten to kill your pets?
- Shove you, slap you, or hit you?
- Force you to have
sex when you don't want to?
- Intimidate you with guns, knives, or other weapons?
- Force you to
drop charges?
- Threaten to kill you or himself?
If you want to talk, we are here for you. You are
not alone!
505-864-3202
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