Ending Violence Against Women

By Angela Marshall, MD

Domestic violence is when one person in a relationship purposely hurts another person physically or emotionally. Domestic violence is also called intimate partner violence because it often is caused by a husband, ex-husband, boyfriend, or ex-boyfriend. Women also can be abusers.

People of all races, education levels, and ages experience domestic abuse. In the United States, more than 5 million women are abused by an intimate partner each year.

It can sometimes be hard for a woman to know if she is being abused. She may think that her partner is allowed to make her have sex. Forced sex is rape, no matter who does it. She may think that cruel or threatening words are not abuse – they are. Sometimesemotional abuseis a sign that a person will become physically violent.

Signs that a woman might be being abused include her partner monitors what she is doing all the time, accuses her of being unfaithful, prevents or discourages her from seeing friends or family, gets very angry during and after drinking alcohol or using drugs, and controls how she spends her money.

More obvious signs of abuse include destroying her property or things that she cares about, threatening to hurt her, her children or pets, and physically beating her.

While it is easy for a woman to feel she has to deal with her abuse on her own, there are many resources available to help including hotlines that can help you develop an action plan, trusted friends and family who can provide support, and healthcare providers who can offer physical and emotional aid. If a woman feels she is in immediate danger, she should call 911.

More information on domestic violence and intimate partner violence is available online from the Office on Women's Health at www.womenshealth.gov/violence-against-women.