Intimate Partner Violence
From the United States Department of Justice: “We define domestic violence as a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner. Domestic violence can be physical, sexual, emotional, economic, or psychological actions or threats of actions that influence another person. This includes any behaviors that intimidate, manipulate, humiliate, isolate, frighten, terrorize, coerce, threaten, blame, hurt, injure, or wound someone.”
Intimate partner violence can include:
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Physical abuse
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Sexual abuse
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Emotional abuse
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Economic abuse
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Psychological abuse
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) does not only occur between individuals who are in a romantic relationship, rather they are involved in a “close relationship” (National Center for Injury Prevention and Control Division of Violence Prevention). Intimate partner violence can happen to anyone in any type of relationship regardless of age, race, ethnicity, religion/spirituality, gender, sex, socioeconomic background, education, residential status, and level of intimacy.
https://www.justice.gov/ovw/domestic-violence
Ask for and give consent: Remember, consent can only be given if both people are clear-headed (not under the influence of drugs or alcohol), give and receive clear verbal and non-verbal cues, and feel no pressure.