Intimate Partner (Domestic) Violence

Intimate Partner (Domestic) Violence

Domestic violence, or intimate partner violence, can be a single abusive event or a pattern of coercive behavior used as revenge or to control, punish, or intimidate an intimate partner.  It can occur to anyone, any age, gender, race, religion, culture, or sexual orientation.  Domestic violence can take many forms, including abuse that is verbal, physical, sexual, psychological, emotional, and/or financial.

No one should suffer abuse from a loved one, but if you are, the Sheridan Police Department and many others are here to help.

Please feel free to contact the Victim Assistance Unit if you need any support or assistance. 

What Are The Signs Of An Abusive Relationship?

Does your partner:

• Tell you that you can never do anything right?
• Show extreme jealousy of your friends and/or try to limit your time spent away?
• Keep you or discourage you from seeing friends or family members
• Insult, demean, or shame you with put-downs?
• Take your money or refuse to give you money for necessary expenses?
• Look at you or act in ways that scare you?
• Control who you see, where you go, or what you do?
• Prevent you from making your own decisions?
• Tell you that you are a bad parent or threaten to harm or take away your children?
• Prevent you from working or attending school?
• Destroy your property or threaten to hurt or kill your pets?
• Intimidate you with guns, knives, or other weapons? 
• Pressure you to have sex when you don’t want to or do things sexually you’re not comfortable with? 
• Pressure you to use drugs or alcohol?

 Signs of Abusive Behavior

 Domestic Violence can be experienced in one or more of the following behaviors: 

• Physical Abuse
• Sexual Abuse
• Emotional/ Psychological Abuse
• Economic Abuse
• Threats
• Stalking/ Cyber Stalking

Each victim’s experience will be unique and may take place during different time frames.  The following are signs of abusive behavior that may be experienced. 

Intimidation/ Threats

• Threatening harm to someone or their friends/family.
• Threatening to lie to law enforcement.
• Threatening to commit suicide.
• Using legal status and immigration as an intimidation factor.

Sexual Abuse

• Forcing sexual acts through manipulation or threats.

Economic Abuse

• Preventing someone from getting or keeping a job.
• Limiting access to income.

Isolation

• Controlling what someone does or who they see.
• Damaging relationships with family and friends.

Emotional/ Psychological Abuse

• Attacking self-worth, name-calling, criticism, and humiliation.
• Being possessive and jealous.
• Making someone feel like they are going crazy.

Using Children or Pets

• Using children as a means of guilt and/or controlling mechanism.
• Threatening to take children away or to call human services.
• Sabotaging birth control or forcing pregnancies.
• Abusing or mistreating pets when this behavior is used as a method of coercion, control, punishment, intimidation, or revenge directed against the victim

Religious/Cultural

• One’s cultural/religious community may be very small. This can stop victims from seeking help due to fear of isolation or shame.  
• Preventing victims from practicing religion or forcing the victim to act against religious beliefs.   
• Abusers may use religious examples to excuse abusive behaviors.
• Abusers may isolate the victim from being around other religious/ cultural members to prevent them from seeking help.

Resources for those who Experience Domestic Conflict

 Certain behaviors can be harmful. Do you…

• Get angry or insecure about your partner’s relationships with others (friends, family, coworkers) and/or feel possessive?
• Frequently call and text to check up on your partner, or have them check in with you?
• Feel like your partner needs to ask your permission to go out, get a job, go to school, or spend time with others?
• Get angry when your partner doesn’t act the way you want or do what you want them to do?
• Blame your anger on drugs, alcohol, or your partner’s actions?
• Find it difficult to control your anger and calm down?
• Express your anger by threatening to hurt your partner or physically doing so?
• Express your anger verbally through raising your voice, name calling, or using “put-downs?”
• Force or attempt to force your partner to be intimate with you?

WANT TO CHANGE? CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE: