Center for the Pacific Asian Family
1-800-339-3940 Toll Free 24-Hour Crisis Hotline
Domestic Violence (DV) comes in many forms and can occur just once or many times. It can happen to anyone, regardless of race, sex, education, social-economic level, or religion. DV occurs when one person wants to obtain power and control over an intimate partner in any type of relationship, i.e. between heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender people; whether they are dating, cohabiting, or married; or in current or past relationships.
You are a Survivor of domestic violence if your husband or intimate partner:
- Calls you names or swears at you in order to make you feel bad
- Physically hurts you or threatens to hurt you, your family, friends, or pets
- Withholds money for basic needs
- Threatens to deport you
- Isolates you from family, friends, and community
- Forces you to have sex
- Stalks and intimidates you
Have a Safety Plan
Even if you don’t think there will be a “next time,” it’s important to have a safety plan for yourself and your children.
- Pack a bag with spare house and car keys, money and basic necessities for you and your children.
- Keep important documents with you, such as:
-State I.S./Driver’s License -Social Security Card
-Green Cards/Passports -Birth Certificates
-Marriage Certificate -Car Registration
-Medical Records -School Records - Know your abuser’s date of birth and social security number. You may need it.
- Have a safe place to go to that is open 24 hours, such as a police station, hospital, or fire station.
- Tell your children the safety plan so they can contact neighbors or the police in an emergency.
- Stay away from kitchens and bathrooms.
If you are being abused, remember…
- It is not your fault. You are not responsible for your spouse or partner’s feelings or actions.
- You are not alone. Two to four million women are assaulted by a domestic partner each year in the U.S.