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Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Domestic Violence is about power and control. Batterers maintain control over
their victims through physical, sexual, emotional and/or economic abuse. Here are
some forms that domestic violence can take:
• Financial control
• Sexual assault
• Spiritual control
• Verbal abuse
• Stalking & harassment
• Emotional abuse
• Threats and other intimidation
• Psychological abuse
• Social control (often isolation)
Danger Checklist:
• Does your partner try to prevent you from seeing your friends & family?
• Does your partner constantly criticize you & your abilities?
• Does your partner intimidate or threaten you?
• Does your partner hit, punch, slap or kick you?
• Has your partner ever prevented you from leaving the house, getting a job or
continuing your education?
• Has your partner ever destroyed things that you cared about?
• Has your partner ever threatened you with a weapon?
• Has your partner ever forced you to have sex, or forced you to engage in sexual
acts that make you feel uncomfortable?
Children and Domestic Violence
Children can be deeply affected by violence in the community and at home. They
see violence on TV and in video games and hear it in music. Children may also
witness fights that involve yelling, screaming or hitting. Sometimes these fights end
with someone getting hurt, badly beaten, stabbed or even shot. But, witnessing
violence in the home is especially troubling for children.
Did you know?
• Children see, hear and remember more than adults think they do. Parents may
think that their children are asleep or watching TV, but children often know when
their parents are fighting.
• Children are sensitive to the tone or volume of a parent’s voice. A parent who
yells a lot in the home is upsetting to a child.
• Children react differently at different ages, but all children – even infants and
toddlers – can be affected by witnessing violence.
Common reactions when children witness violence:
• Difficulty with sleeping, poor appetite, stomachaches, headaches, nightmares,
and bedwetting
• Become fearful or moody
• Worrying about the safety of loved ones
• Trouble with concentration, learning and behavior at school
• Trouble making or keeping friends
• Running away
• Involvement with drugs and alcohol
Children learn from what they see. When children grow up seeing others acting
violently, they are more likely to use violence themselves.
Every 15 seconds in the United States, a woman is battered and approximately 4
are killed per day by their husband, boyfriend or live-in partner. This epidemic of
violence can touch any of us.
A safety plan is important.
If someone you know plans to leave her home, make sure she has a safety plan
before she leaves. If she is unsure about her safety, encourage her to call a
domestic violence program where she can get help to put together a safety plan.
Never encourage her to follow plan she doesn’t consider “safe.”
What is Heart of Grant County?
Heart of Grant County is a Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault program. As a
private non-profit organization serving all of Grant County, Heart works closely
with a network of local supporters to help families break the cycle of violence.
Heart delivers a wide range of crisis & educational services to adults, teens &
children.
Confidential and Free
Heart’s services are designed to help survivors of abuse regain control of their
lives, start the healing process, develop self-esteem and break the cycle of
violence so that future abuse can be prevented.
Services include:
• 24 hour hotline
• Crisis counseling & referrals to other services
• Temporary safe housing
• Emergency transportation
• Court, legal and medical advocacy
• Self-help materials
• Individual peer advocacy
• Empowerment groups
• Prevention presentations and community outreach
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, call Heart of Grant
County at 541-575-4335 or our 24 hour hotline at 541-620-1342
(We refer to a female victim because the overwhelming majority of domestic
victims are women. However, these guidelines apply equally to all genders.)
CCS
Changing Lives
NO COST SCREENING
High Quality Services Include:
Mental Health
Alcohol and Drug
Developmental Disability
528 E. Main • John Day • 541-575-1466
03612