Violence can happen to anyone-males or females, children, teens,
adults, older adults, or people with disabilities. You are not to blame. No
matter what happened, violence is not okay. Violent people usually have many
problems that they find hard to deal with, which can cause them to act out with
violence.
Physical abuse includes hitting, pushing, shaking, slapping,
kicking, pinching, choking, strangling, and burning. Physical abuse may come
from a stranger, acquaintance, or from a close friend or family member. Many
victims of abuse know their attacker.
Violent behavior can also hurt you emotionally. You may feel sad
or frightened. Feelings of guilt may prevent you from getting help. But it is
important for you to seek help and continue to get help for yourself as long as
you need it. Talk to your local child or adult protective agency, the police,
or a health professional, such as a doctor, nurse, or counselor. You can also
call a local mental health clinic. Any of these people can help you deal with
your feelings, get medical treatment if needed, and take steps to stop the
abuser.
Review the Emergencies and Check Your Symptoms sections to
determine if and when you need to see a health professional.
Do you have any of the following symptoms that require emergency treatment?
Call 911 or other emergency services immediately.
You think you are in immediate physical danger.
You or someone else has just
been physically abused or sexually assaulted (raped).
You have been
physically hurt and do not have someone who can safely take you to emergency
care.
Check Your Symptoms
If you answer yes to any of the following questions, click on the "Yes" in front of the question for information about how soon to see a health professional.
Review
risk factors that may increase your chance of becoming a victim of violent
behavior.
If you have:
Been abused by your partner: Go to the topic
Domestic Abuse.
Does a family member have an injury from physical
abuse?
If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.
Other Symptoms to Watch For
Even if there is not a physical injury, it is important to find
help if you think abuse or neglect has occurred. If you are concerned
about:
Domestic abuse (intimate partner violence): call the
National Domestic Violence Hotline to help you find resources in your area.
Call the hotline toll-free: 1-800-799-7233. For more
information, see the topic
Domestic Violence.
Child abuse and neglect: Call a local social service or mental health department. Many
social service agencies involved with child abuse investigation also offer
services to parents who need help with anger and stress. Agencies are listed in
the phone book, usually under your state's Department of Social Services,
Protective Services, Social and Rehabilitative Services, or Children and Family
Services. For more information, see the topic
Child Abuse and Neglect or
Shaken Baby Syndrome.
Elder abuse: Call the National Directory of Hotlines and Crisis Intervention
Centers for a referral to services offered in your area: 1-800-999-9999 or TDD
1-800-999-9915. For more information, see the topic
Elder Abuse.
Do you have any of the following symptoms that require emergency treatment?
Call 911 or other emergency services immediately.
You think you are in immediate physical danger.
You or someone else has just
been physically abused or sexually assaulted (raped).
You have been
physically hurt and do not have someone who can safely take you to emergency
care.
Check Your Symptoms
If you answer yes to any of the following questions, click on the "Yes" in front of the question for information about how soon to see a health professional.
Review
risk factors that may increase your chance of becoming a victim of violent
behavior.
If you have:
Been abused by your partner: Go to the topic
Domestic Abuse.
Does a family member have an injury from physical
abuse?
If you have answered "No" to the above questions, go back to Check Your Symptoms and continue to answer the questions to evaluate your symptoms.
Other Symptoms to Watch For
Even if there is not a physical injury, it is important to find
help if you think abuse or neglect has occurred. If you are concerned
about:
Domestic abuse (intimate partner violence): call the
National Domestic Violence Hotline to help you find resources in your area.
Call the hotline toll-free: 1-800-799-7233. For more
information, see the topic
Domestic Violence.
Child abuse and neglect: Call a local social service or mental health department. Many
social service agencies involved with child abuse investigation also offer
services to parents who need help with anger and stress. Agencies are listed in
the phone book, usually under your state's Department of Social Services,
Protective Services, Social and Rehabilitative Services, or Children and Family
Services. For more information, see the topic
Child Abuse and Neglect or
Shaken Baby Syndrome.
Elder abuse: Call the National Directory of Hotlines and Crisis Intervention
Centers for a referral to services offered in your area: 1-800-999-9999 or TDD
1-800-999-9915. For more information, see the topic
Elder Abuse.
If a visit to a health professional is not needed immediately, see the Home Treatment section for self-care information.
Home Treatment
If you feel threatened, you must have a
plan for dealing with a threatening situation. If a
family member or someone else has threatened to harm you or your child, seek
help:
If you need immediate help, call 911 .
Call the National
Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233) for free, confidential counseling
and information about local community resources.
Tell someone: the
police, a trusted friend, a spiritual advisor, or a health professional. If the
incident occurred at work, contact your human resources department for
help.
Find local
resources that can help in a crisis. Your local YMCA,
YWCA, police department, mental health clinic, or hospital has information on
shelters and safe homes.
Be alert to warning signs, such as
threats or drunkenness, so that you can avoid a dangerous situation. If you
cannot predict when violence may occur, have an exit plan for use in an
emergency.
If a child tells you he or she has been abused, stay calm. Tell
the child that you believe him or her and that you will do your best to keep
him or her safe. Report the abuse to the local police or child protective
services agency. For more information, see the topic
Child Abuse and Neglect.
If you are no longer living with a violent person, contact the
police to obtain a restraining order if your abuser continues to pursue you and
act violently toward you.
If you know someone who may be a victim of violent behavior
Here are some things you can do to help a friend or family
member.
Let your friend know you are willing to
listen whenever she or he wants to talk. Don't confront your friend if she or
he is not ready to talk. Encourage your friend to talk with her or his health
professional, human resources manager, and supervisor to see what resources
might be available.
Tell your friend that the abuse is not her or
his fault and that no one deserves to be abused. Remind your friend that
violence is against the law and that help is available. Be understanding if she
or he is unable to leave. She or he knows the situation best and when it is
safest to leave.
If your friend has children, gently point out
that you are concerned that the violence is affecting them. Many people do not
understand that their children are being harmed until someone else talks about
this concern.
Encourage and help your friend develop a
safety plan. This plan will help keep your friend and
her or his children safe during a violent incident, when preparing to leave,
and after leaving.
The most important step is to help your friend contact local
domestic violence groups. There are programs across the country that provide
options for safety, legal support, support, and needed information and
services. To find the nearest program:
Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.
Call the National Center for Victims of Crime at 1-800-FYI-CALL (1-800-394-2255).
See the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence's Web site
at www.ncadv.org/resources/state.htm.
The most dangerous time for your friend may be when she or he is
leaving the abusive relationship, so any advice about leaving must be informed
and practical.
Violence is learned behavior, so it is especially important to
help your children learn that violence is not a healthy way to resolve
conflict. Living in a violent environment increases your child's chances of
developing behavior problems,
depression,
anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, poor school
achievement, and lowered expectations for the future. People who are maltreated
as children are more likely to abuse others. If you were ever abused, it is
very important to get treatment so that you learn different ways to resolve
conflict and use appropriate discipline.
If violence occurs again, use the Emergencies and Check Your
Symptoms sections to determine if and when you need to see your doctor.
Prevention
Prevent violence in your home.
Learn nonviolent ways to resolve conflicts.
Arguing is fine, even healthy, as long as it does not turn violent. For more
information on anger control, see the topic
Anger, Hostility, and Violent Behavior.
Keep yourself safe from violence.
Be alert to warning signs, such as threats or
drunkenness, so that you can avoid a dangerous situation. If you cannot predict
when violence may occur, have an
exit plan for use in an emergency.
Prevent violence with firearms
and other weapons. Do not provide your children or teenagers with unsupervised
access to guns or other dangerous weapons.
Do not keep loaded firearms in your
home.
If you must keep firearms in your home, unload them and lock
them up. Lock ammunition in a separate place.
Do not keep firearms
in a home where there is someone who has a drug or alcohol problem, is prone to
violent behavior, or has threatened suicide.
Make sure that no one
in your home will have access to firearms or other weapons unless they know how
to use them safely.
If you are no longer living with a violent
person, contact the police to obtain a restraining order if your abuser
continues to pursue you and act violently toward you.
Teach your children that violence is not a solution. Settle
arguments without yelling or hitting. Do not use physical discipline, such as
spanking, pinching, ear pulling, jabbing, shoving, choking, or strangling. If
you need help controlling your children, consider taking a course in parenting
skills.
Limit your child's exposure to TV, movies, and video games
to no more than 1 to 2 hours per day.
Participate in healthy alternatives, such
as sports, interactive play, and reading, with your child.
Watch
television with your children to discuss or limit violent
content.
Use a "V-chip" to filter broadcast
programming.
Do not glamorize weapon carrying or use firearms in
play.
If you have made an appointment with your health professional, you
may be able to get the most from your visit by being prepared to answer the
following questions:
A recent event
Has someone hit, slapped, kicked, or otherwise physically hurt
you on purpose?
Has someone forced you to have sexual
activities?
What kind of injuries do you have?
What
triggered the abuser's violent behavior?
Has the abuser threatened
violence against your children? Is he or she violent toward your
children?
Has the abuser hurt a pet or destroyed things that belong
to you?
Is the person who harmed you using any alcohol or illegal
drugs?
Does the person who harmed you have access to guns or other
violent weapons?
Do you have any
risk factors that increase your chance of becoming a victim of violent
behavior?
If you need immediate help, call 911 .
A history of abusive behavior
Have you ever been emotionally or physically abused by your
partner or someone important to you?
How long have you felt
threatened by the violent behavior of someone else?
Are you the
victim of angry outbursts or violent actions?
Do another person's
violent outbursts occur at regularly spaced time periods?
Has the
abuse increased recently?
What kind of injuries has the abuse
caused? Did you seek health care for the injuries? When and
where?
Does the abuser control most or all your activities every
day?
What triggers the abuser's violent behavior?
Has
the abuser threatened violence against your children? Is he or she violent
toward your children?
Has the abuser hurt a pet or destroyed things
that belong to you?
Is the person who harmed you using any alcohol
or illegal drugs?
Does the person who harmed you have access to
guns or other violent weapons?
Does your family have a history of
violent behavior?
Has the abuser ever been diagnosed with
depression or a mental illness, such as
bipolar disorder,
schizophrenia, or personality disorder?
Do you have any
risk factors that increase your chance of becoming a victim of violent
behavior?
Another resource for help is the National Domestic Violence
Hotline (1-800-799-7233) for free, confidential counseling and information
about local community resources.
Other Places To Get Help
Organizations
Family Violence Prevention Fund
383 Rhode Island Street
Suite 304
San Francisco, CA 94103-5133
Phone:
(415) 252-8900
Fax:
(415) 252-8991
TDD:
1-800-595-4889
E-mail:
info@endabuse.org
Web Address:
www.endabuse.org
The Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF) works to
prevent violence within the home and in the community. The organization
promotes leadership within communities to transform the way health
professionals, police, judges, employers, and others deal with violence. FVPF
has programs specifically related to children, health, immigrant women, teens,
the workplace, and other communities that are affected by violence.
National Domestic Violence Hotline
Phone:
1-800-799-SAFE (1-800-799-7233)
TDD:
1-800-787-3224
E-mail:
ndvh@ndvh.org (e-mail is not confidential or secure)
Web Address:
www.ndvh.org
The National Domestic Violence Hotline offers crisis
intervention, information about domestic violence, and referrals to local
service providers for victims of domestic violence and those calling on their
behalf. The hotline is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in English,
Spanish, and other languages. The hotline connects callers to more than 4,000
shelters and service providers in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S.
Virgin Islands.
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
