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What is Domestic Violence?
Domestic violence is an escalating pattern of abuse where one partner
in an intimate relationship controls the other through force,
intimidation, or the threat of violence. Abuse comes in many forms:
- Physical: Kicking, punching, shoving, slapping,
pushing, and any other acts that hurt your body.
- Sexual: Calling you vulgar names, criticizing
your body parts or sensuality, forced or pressured sexual acts,
including rape.
- Emotional: Assaults against your self-esteem.
- Verbal: Name-calling, threats, put-downs.
- Psychological: Causing you to feel as if you
are "going crazy".
- Spiritual: Attacking your spiritual or
religious beliefs.
- Financial: Controlling and manipulating you by
threatening your economic status and basic needs.
- Homophobic: Threatening to "out" you to people
who do not know your sexual orientation.
- Immigration: Using your immigration status and
fear of deportation to control you.
- Destructive Acts: Actual or threatened assault
of your property or pets to scare you.
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What do I do next ?
REACH is dedicated to providing the answers and support you need. Call
our main crisis line at 828-837-8064 for anonymous help or advice |
Domestic Violence Quiz:
How is your relationship?
Does your partner:
- Embarrasses you with bad names and put-downs?
- Look at you or act in ways that scare you?
- Control what you do, who you see or talk to, or where you go?
- Stop you from seeing or talking to friends or family?
- Stop you from seeking or getting a job?
- Take your money or Social Security, 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?
- Act like the abuse is no big deal, it's your fault, or even deny doing
it?
- Destroy your property or threaten to kill your pets?
- Intimidate your with guns, knives, or other weapons?
- Shove you, slap you or hit you?
- Force you to drop charges?
- Threaten to commit suicide?
- Threaten to kill you?
If you answered yes to some of these questions, it may be important for you to
contact someone who can help you. Domestic Violence is serious and it is
illegal. This is not the kind of situation that you can "fix" by yourself.
Please do not hesitate to call REACH for support, 828-837-8064. You deserve to
be safe and we are here to help.
The Domestic
Violence and Sexual Assault service component includes the following services to
the community, battered women and their children and survivors of sexual
assault.
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24 hour crisis line
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Battered Women’s Support Group
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Medical and Legal Advocacy
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Hospital, Court & DSS Accompaniment
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Information and Referral
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Temporary Shelter
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Community Education
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Date Rape and Dating Violence Prevention Programs
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Good Touch/Bad Touch Programs
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Sexual Assault Support Group
