What is Domestic Violence?

Domestic violence (also called family violence) is a pattern of behavior and a method of control. One person dominates other household members by physical violence and/or psychological abuse.

If you can answer "yes" to any of the questions below, you may be in an abusive relationship which would qualify as "Domestic Violence." Does your partner:

• Hit? Slap? Choke? Kick? Bite? Push? Use, or threaten to use, a weapon? Prevent you from leaving?
• Call you degrading names? Threaten to harm you or your family? Torture your pet? Destroy your property?
• Keep you from seeing your friends or family? Prohibit you from using a vehicle?
• Force you to engage in sexual acts against your will?
• Discourage or forbid you to work? Withhold the family's financial information from you?
• Control all the family finances and accounts?
• Fail to provide care or medical treatment that results in injury or damages your health and safety?

Places to Get Help

• Police - call 911
• Local domestic violence or sexual assault programs
• Department of Social Services
• Homeless shelters
• Churches in your community
• Victim-Witness Program
• Virginia Family Violence/Sexual Assault Hotline (toll-free 24-hour) - (800) 838-8238

Programs to Help Victims of Domestic Violence

Domestic Violence programs are federal and state funded public or private, non-profit agencies that provide services to survivors of domestic violence and their children. Local domestic violence agencies and programs provide for the safety of battered adults and their children through the provision of emergency housing, crisis intervention, peer counseling, support, advocacy and public awareness. Funding also supports the statewide, 24-hour toll-free Family Violence hotline number which may be reached by dialing (800) 838-8238.

At the state level, the functions of the Domestic Violence Prevention program are to:

• Allocate funding through a request for proposal (RFP) process to local domestic violence agencies
• Promote interagency cooperation for service delivery, technical assistance and data collection
• Promote domestic violence services in unserved and underserved localities
• Promote public awareness of domestic violence, its prevention and services to survivors
• Maintain and disseminate statistical and program information
• Provide information to the legislature and other interested parties
• Provide technical assistance to local domestic violence agencies

The Domestic Violence Program identifies, mobilizes and monitors resources for victims of domestic violence. Close to 60,000 women and their children are served yearly.