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Ask. Listen. Learn.
We can ALL help end domestic violence

Ask yourself.

  • Am I safe and respected in my relationships?
  • Do I treat the people I love with respect and nonviolence?
  • Do I know the signs of domestic violence?
  • Would I know how to help a friend or family member who was being abused?
  • Do I want to live in a world where people are humiliated, beaten, and killed by their intimate partners every day?
  • What can I do to help end this violence?

Listen to the facts.

Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behaviors used by one person to control another person in the context of an intimate or family relationship. The abuse can be physical, sexual, and/or emotional.

  • 1 in 4 women and 1 in 14 men have been physically assaulted or raped by an intimate partner. (National Violence Against Women Survey, 2000)
  • In 2002, more than 40,000 calls were made to family violence or sexual assault hotlines in Virginia. (VAdata Report on Sexual & Domestic Violence)
  • 3 out of 4 domestic violence victims who received services from a domestic violence program in 2002 reported that they sought help from a family member or friend first. (VAdata)
  • In 2001, 55 Virginia women and 13 men died in a total of 68 intimate partner homicides. (Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, January 2003)

Learn what you can do.

  • Call the police if you see or hear abuse in progress.
  • Model respectful, non-violent behavior in your personal relationships.
  • Speak up when others belittle women, make jokes about domestic violence, or spread stereotypes about abuse.
  • Educate yourself about domestic violence at www.vsdvalliance.org

For more information or immediate help, call the free, confidential, 24-hour Virginia Family Violence & Sexual Assault Hotline at 1.800.838.8238 (v/tty).