October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. "Domestic violence is the willful intimidation as part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner against another. Frequency and severity of domestic violence can vary dramatically, but the constant of domestic violence is one partner’s consistent efforts to maintain power and control over the other."
Anyone can be an abuser. They come from all groups, all cultures, all religions, all economic levels, and all backgrounds. They can be your neighbor, your pastor, your friend, your child's teacher, a relative, a coworker -- anyone. It is important to note that the majority of abusers are only violent with their current or past intimate partners.
The resources below are provided by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), the National Domestic Violence Hotline (the Hotline), the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) or RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network).
Practicing Active Bystander Intervention from RAINN
Take Action to Support Healthy Relationships from NSVRC
Understand Relationship Abuse from the Hotline
Dynamics of Abuse from NCADV
The Power and Control Wheel - "The wheel serves as a diagram of tactics that an abusive partner uses to keep their victims in a relationship." From the Hotline.
Warning Signs of Relationship Abuse from the Hotline
Signs of Love Bombing from the Hotline
Abuse in Deaf Communities from the Hotline
Abuse in LGBTQ+ Communities from the Hotline
Domestic Violence and the LGBTQ Community from NCADV
Domestic Violence and the Black Community from NCADV
Abuse in Disability Communities from the Hotline
Domestic Violence and People with Disabilities: What to Know, Why It Matters, and How to Help from NCADV
Teen, Campus & Dating Violence from NCADV
Domestic Abuse in Later Life from NCADV
Male Victims of Intimate Partner Violence from NCADV
Why Do Victims [of abuse] Stay? from NCADV
Economic and Financial Abuse from NCADV
Hope & Power for Your Personal Finances: A Rebuilding Guide Following Domestic Violence from NCADV
Do You Know the Basics of Consent? Take this quiz to find out! From NSVRC.
Legal Role of Consent from RAINN
Your Consent Guide - This guide defines consent and details key considerations before, during, and after asking. From NSVRC.
What Consent Looks Like from RAINN
Digital Consent, Boundaries, and Everyday Online Consent from NSVRC
Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse from NCADV
Understanding Sexual Violence from NSVRC
Types of Sexual Violence from RAINN provides information about sexual assault of men, women, or children, intimate partner sexual violence, sexual harassment, stalking, using technology to hurt others, sexual abuse or exploitation by medical or helping professionals, military sexual trauma, and other forms of sexual violence.
The Impact of Sexual Violence - "Nearly 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men are victims of rape (Black et al., 2011). But all of us are impacted by sexual violence. That’s because sexual violence affects communities and society — in addition to survivors and their loved ones. Because of this, it’s on all of us to help prevent it." From NSVRC.
Laws In Your State - "From the legal definition of rape to the statute of limitation for a particular sex crime, where you live makes a difference. Here's a guide to the laws in your state." From RAINN.
Staying Safe on Campus from RAINN
Warning signs that a college-age adult may have been sexually assaulted from RAINN
Grooming: Know the Warning Signs from RAINN
Stalking: 16 Important Statistics, and What You Can Do About It from NCADV
Stalking Fact Sheet from NCADV
‘Stalkerware’ Apps Are Proliferating. Protect Yourself. An article in the New York Times about apps that may record your conversations, location and everything you type without you being aware.
The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) reports that about 1 in 6 women and 1 in 17 men have been stalked at some point in their lives.
While most women and men first experience being stalked as adults, approximately 21% of female victims and 13% of male victims reported being stalked as minors. Nearly 54% of female victims and 41% of male victims experienced stalking before the age of 25. SOURCE
The Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network's (RAINN) National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline is a referral service that can put you in contact with your local rape crisis center. Call 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), or access RAINN’s online chat service.
quigleyhouse.org in Clay County
www.leeconleehouse.org in Putnam County
bettygriffincenter.org in St. Johns County
Florida Domestic Violence Hotline: Call 1-800-500-1119 or Florida Relay 711
National Domestic Abuse Hotline: Call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text "START" to 88788
One of the most dangerous and insidious truths about domestic violence is it's easy to ignore if it's not visible. Like an iceberg, there's a lot more than what is visible above the surface, and that's true for individuals, communities, and cultures. In the depiction below, we've listed outward acts that society doesn't accept, where survivors are supported and the offenders are held accountable. Ask yourself: WHY don't we do the same with acts found below the water's surface? - Provided by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV)
