Understanding Intimate Partner Violence

Understanding Intimate Partner Violence.
Most of us know someone that has been in an abusive or controlling relationship.  If you sit and think of the women in your life, mother, daughter, friends, cousins, grandmothers, we can almost always find one if not more that have had this experience. Domestic violence, or more recently called intimate partner violence or dating violence, is more common than people think.  If you are in a controlling relationship or know someone who needs help, there are many resources available to you.  If you are unsure if the way you are made to feel is abuse or if you are unsure how to be helpful to someone you care for, the first place I recommend is the Power and Control Wheel as it relates to Domestic or Intimate Partner Violence.  The link below will help you understand the dynamics that a woman is going through and how isolation usually results from abusive relationships.  Many friends have good intentions when they speak words of advice, though it can be hard to truly understand and be helpful unless you have experienced this abuse yourself.  This is why the wheel is so valuable in helping others. Leaving the situation can very often put the female in greater danger so advising to “just leave” may not be as easy as you think. If it were up to me this tool would be required for both boys and girls as they enter high school or at least freshmen year in college.  It is crucial in understanding abuse and the difficulty in breaking the cycle.  Click the link below to learn more on how to recognize abuse.

http://www.ncdsv.org/images/PowerControlwheelNOSHADING.pdf