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Abuse occurs when behaviors are used to establish and maintain power and control over another person. Unfortunately, it happens to people of every age, race and socioeconomic group. AVAIL believes that everyone has the right to be safe and treated with respect. Some examples of abusive behaviors include: (NOTE: Crime statistics show that over 95% of domestic crime occurs with the male as the aggressor and the female as victim. Therefore, we use she when referring to the victim and he when referring to the aggressor): Intimidation: making her afraid by using looks, actions, gestures, smashing things, destroying her property, abusing pets, displaying weapons. Emotional Abuse: putting her down, making her feel bad about herself, calling her names, making her think she's crazy, playing mind games, humiliating her, making her feel guilty. Isolation: controlling what she does, who she sees and talks to, what she reads, where she goes, limiting her outside involvement, using jealousy to justify actions. Minimizing, Denying, Blaming: making light of the abuse and not taking her concerns about it seriously, saying the abuse didn't happen, shifting responsibility for abusive behaviors, saying she caused it. |
Using Children: making her feel guilty about the children, using the children to relay messages, using visitation to harass her, threatening to take the children away. Using Male Privilege: treating her like a servant, making all the big decisions, acting like the 'master of the castle', being the one to define men's and women's roles. Economic Abuse: preventing her from getting or keeping a job, making her ask for money, giving her an allowance, taking her money, not letting her know about or have access to family income. Coercion and Threats: making and/or carrying out threats to do something to hurt her, threatening to leave her, to commit suicide, to report her to welfare, making her drop charges, making her do illegal things. If you or someone you know is experiencing any of these, please know that YOU ARE NOT ALONE! In order to better understand your situation and feelings it can be helpful to talk with others. AVAIL is here for you. We can provide you (and/or your family members and friends) with information and support. Call us anytime: (715) 623-5767. E-mail avail@availinc.org |
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Sexual violence is any act (verbal and/or physical) which breaks a person's trust and safety and is sexual in nature. A victim of sexual assault suffers deep emotional trauma that may affect many areas of their life. She/he may feel a loss of trust in people, low self-esteem, fear of the opposite sex and berate themselves for allowing this crime to happen. There is no "typical" rapist. They come from all economic and ethnic backgrounds. They may be a friend, family, acquaintances or a date. Assaults are motivated primarily out of anger and/or a need to feel powerful by controlling, dominating, or humiliating the victim. Victim/survivors of sexual assaults are forced, coerced and manipulated to participate in unwanted sexual activity. Victims do not cause their assaults and they are never to blame. Rape creates an impact on a victim's mental health, |
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An estimated 6,101 sexual assaults were reported in 1995 92% of all sexual assaults are perpetrated by someone known to the victim. 60% of assaults took place in either the victim's or offender's home. 67.9% of assaults against males were committed by other males. 98.1% of assaults against females were committed by males. 75% of all sexual assault victims were juveniles. Over 68% of all victims were 15 years old or younger. Sexual assaults continues to be the most unreported crime, with only 5% to 20% reporting. As an increase in reports is seen, it is impossible to determine if this is due to more assaults or whether there is a rise in reporting. Remember--Regardless of a women's actions, rape is never her fault! |
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Studies consistently show that teen dating violence is one of the major sources of violence in teen life. Violence in a dating relationship is extremely serious because it can involve critical injury or end in murder. Twenty percent of female homicide victims are between the ages of 15-24. One out of every three women murdered in the United States is killed by a husband or dating partner. Dating violence is more likely to occur when the relationship is steady and the male partner sees himself as part of a couple. In a violent relationship, one person repeatedly threatens to, or actually acts in a way that physically, sexually or verbally injures the other person. It does not just happen once, it happens again and again and becomes part of a pattern of abusive behavior that worsens with time. All kinds of abuse involve intimidation by the abuser who has power and control in the relationship. The most common form of control in emotional abuse is jealousy. It can take the form of possessiveness or suspiciousness. The abuser may require their partner to always be available to him, not associate with family and friends, and often is accused of things that she did not do. This often leads to isolation and gives the abusive person even more power. Physical abuse is used as a means of control. It includes pushing, hitting, slapping, kicking, beatings, choking, etc. Physical abuse is rarely a one-time occurrence. It is a pattern that happens over and over and usually gets worse. When physical abuse is part of a relationship, so is fear. When sexual abuse is occurring in a dating relationship, it is often associated with emotional, physical and verbal abuse. Sexual abuse may involve being violently forced to have sex, or just being afraid to say no because of fear of being physically or verbally abused. It may involve sexual insults, and being forced to do acts during sex that weren't consensual. |
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HOUR CRISIS LINE AVAIL - P.O. Box 355 - Antigo, WI 54409 - Phone: 715-623-5177 |
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