What does Domestic Violence Mean?

"Domestic violence" means repeated attacks by one sexual intimate on another. A "sexual intimate" is a wife, husband, de facto spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend, straight or gay. This includes dating violence and stalking. Domestic violence often includes not just physical violence, but other tactics meant to terrify and control the victim, such as intimidation, verbal abuse, isolation from friends and family, and so on. Abusers might threaten their victims, refuse to let them use the phone or to leave the house, make sure they have no money to buy a bus ticket or even new clothing, and so forth. These tactics aren't physical violence, but they are part of the abuse, and they can be devastating.

"Domestic violence" is abuse by a spouse or an intimate partner. It can take many forms. Here are some types of abuse: Physical abuse is the use of physical force. Sexual abuse means any forced sexual activity. Emotional abuse includes threats, constant criticism and put-downs. Controlling access to money and controlling activities are other abusive behaviors.

"Domestic violence" is a learned pattern of behaviors used by one person in a relationship to control the other person. The partners may be married or not married, gay or lesbian, living together, separated or dating. Examples of domestic violence are:
       emotional abuse through mind games, name-calling, or put-downs
       isolation from family or friends
       economicabuse by withholding money or being prevented from getting or holding a job
       actual or threatened physical harm
       sexual assault
       stalking
       intimidation

"Domestic Violence" is a Crime Women are at greater risk of violence at home than on the street. Most violence in the home is committed by men. Women and children are most often the victims. Male violence against women is any behaviour which causes physical, sexual or psychological damage or causes a woman to live in fear. Physical and sexual violence are the more obvious forms of violence. Rape within marriage is a crime in Victoria. Threatening, pushing, poking,biting, hairpulling, pinching, hitting, punching and using a weapon are all forms of violence.

Other forms of violence include:

       insulting you in public
       refusing to let you see friends or family
       smashing things, or ripping or burning your clothes
       calling you names
       making you think you're crazy
       disconnecting the phone
       locking you in the house>
       threatening to take or kill the children
       drugging you
       controlling all the money
       treating you like a servant
       forcing you to perform sexual acts against your will