Domestic Violence

1 out of 3 women around the world has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused during her lifetime. Is that not the most staggering statistic you have ever heard, well here's another one, 4 million American women experience a serious assault by a partner during an average 12-month period.

I don't know about you but that scares the hell out of me. Statistics are not what I want talk about though. I think the biggest problem with abuse is that a lot of people don't really know what it is, so I looked it up.

According to Miriam Webster Dictionary
Main Entry: domestic violence
Function: noun
Date: 1976
: the inflicting of physical injury by one family or household member on another; also : a repeated or habitual pattern of such behavior

Now remember this is a definition that is almost as old as I am so let's look for something a little more updated.

According to the Domestic Violence Hotline....Domestic violence can be defined as a pattern of behavior in any relationship that is used to gain or maintain power and control over an intimate partner.
Abuse is physical, sexual, emotional, economic or psychological actions or threats of actions that influence another person. This includes any behaviors that frighten, intimidate, terrorize, manipulate, hurt, humiliate, blame, injure or wound someone.

Now the biggest question that you should be asking yourself is...."Am I abusive?"

Answer these questions to find out..........
? Calling bad names or putting someone down
 Shouting and cursing
 Hitting, slapping and/or pushing
 Making threats of any kind
 Jealously and suspicion
 Keeping someone away from family and friends
 Throwing things around the house

If you answered yes to any of these questions then you should definitely get in touch with a professional as soon as possible. The National Domestic Violence Hot line can help.
1-800-799-SAFE (7233)