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Domestic Violence Awareness Month

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If you are looking for more information to get involved as a volunteer, host an event or more, please contact victimservices@fau.edu. If you are hosting or participating in any event, do not forget to post on social media and use the hashtag #owlsgopurple.

Defining Domestic and Dating Violence

What is Domestic Violence?

Domestic Violence (DV) is a pattern of behaviors used to establish power and control over another person through fear or intimidation. DV can occur in romantic relationships, parent/child relationships, caregiver relationships, sibling relationships, friendships, roommates or any relationship between individuals who live together.

What is Dating Violence?

Dating Violence or Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a pattern of behaviors used to establish power and control over another person through fear or intimidation during a romantic relationship.

DV and IPV do not affect everyone in the same way and can look different in every relationship.

Types of Violence

The chart below contains some of the different tactics and types of abuse that an abuser will use to maintain that power and control. This is not an exhaustive list and experiences will look different for everyone.

Type of Violence and it’s Definition	Examples
Academic Preventing or sabotaging someone’s academic success or career.	“You can’t take that class since ____ is in it” “I don’t care that you have a final tomorrow, we’re going out tonight.”
Technology Utilizing technology to control, intimidate, or threaten someone.	“If you loved me, you’d give me your passwords.” Constant texting or facetiming Location sharing and constantly monitoring/tracking Checking phone/email/social media without permission Sharing private pictures publicly or threatening to do so
Financial Controlling or limiting someone’s access to money, resources, or the ability to work.	“You can’t work, I want to spend time with you.” “I’ll give you money to spend, you don’t need your own.” Not allowing someone to have access to their paycheck/money
Coercive Control Pattern of behaviors used to gain power or limit freedoms.	“Those friends are a bad influence. I don’t want you seeing them anymore.” Isolation from friends/family Possessive/controlling behavior Threatening harm or punishment when “rules” are not followed
Emotional/Verbal Using words or actions to control, hurt, or break down another person’s self-worth.	Putting someone down frequently, especially in front of others “It’s your fault, you never do anything right” Mean name calling
Psychological When someone uses fear, threats, intimidation, or mind games to control or manipulate another person.	“If you leave me, I’ll hurt myself” Explosive outbursts, temper, or mood swings “If you loved me you would...”
Physical When someone uses their body or an object to hurt, control, or intimidate another person.	Any physical harm Punching, kicking, slapping, biting, choking, etc. Physically restraining someone or restricting movement, blocking exits.
Sexual Forcing or pressuring someone into sexual activity without their consent.	“If you loved me, you’d have sex with me” Forcing sexual activity Ignoring boundaries around sexual activity Pressuring sexual activity someone is not ready for or consenting to

Coercion/Pressure

Coercion and Pressure are commonly used to establish control over another person. Coercion can often involve threats, force, or repeated behaviors/questions used to “wear someone down” or cause someone to feel like they have no other choice than to do what is being asked of them. This type of pressure is not okay. If someone cannot respect your no, they do not respect your boundaries, and they may not respect you.