WINNEMUCCA - October is Domestic Violence Awareness month.
Domestic violence is first of all a situation that is based in a person's home. The perpetrator of the abuse and the recipient of the abuse must reside in the same house, apartment, dorm room or other place of residence.
The relationship does not need to be a marriage or boyfriend/girlfriend type relationship to constitute domestic violence.
In order to be classified as "domestic violence," the situation must also form a pattern. An isolated incident is not domestic violence. The behavior must also be used to gain and maintain an unreasonable amount of control over a person in the home. Someone who is just generally rude or unpleasant but doesn't inflict any form of harm or have any control over anyone in their home is not an abuser.
Physical abuse seems like the easiest and most obvious to spot. Hitting, kicking, punching, pushing, slapping, biting, burning, tripping or drowning a person is clearly abusive. Physical abuse may also involve threatening with objects, cornering or chasing.
Sexual abuse is present whenever any type of abuse is carried out in a sexual manner. Any type of sexual activity can be used as a form of sexual abuse, and the perpetrator and target of sexual abuse can have any type of relationship, including being legally married. Sexual abuse can also occur if the same activity was previously engaged in with the consent of all involved.
Emotional abuse is the most easily missed form of abuse. In emotional abuse cases, the abusive person does not use direct attacks, but engages in a pattern of behavior designed to subtly demean, humiliate and control their target.
Financial or economic abuse occurs when a person's finances or financial means are targeted in an abusive manner.
WDVS is available to help anyone move from any of these types of situations to a safe life. We are also available to provide further detail and information to the public for domestic violence awareness month and throughout the year.
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