DEFINITIONS
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a pattern of assaultive and coercive behaviors perpetrated by someone who is, was or wishes to be involved in an intimate or dating relationship with an adult or adolescent. The aim of these behaviors is to establish and maintain control by one partner over the other.
Physical Violence
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Hit, slap, scratch, choke (strangle), bite, burn, push, kick,
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Use of restraints or one’s strength against another person
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Use of weapons
Psychological Abuse
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Name-calling, verbal abuse, harassment, humiliating publicly, stalking, harassment,
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Intimidation
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Tracking partner by monitoring phone, purchases, and schedule
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Isolation, limiting or controlling access to family, friends, money, transportation, food, medicine, healthcare
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Threats of physical or sexual violence (using words, gestures, weapons)
Sexual Violence and Sexual Coercion
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Unwanted kissing or fondling
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Rape or forced sexual acts
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Repeatedly pressuring to have sex
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Using threats to coerce a person to have sex
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Knowingly exposing a partner to an STI or HIV
Reproductive Coercion
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Birth Control Sabotage (hiding, withholding, or destroying a partner’s birth control pills, breaking or poking holes in a condom or removing it during sex in an attempt to promote pregnancy.)
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Pregnancy Pressure and Coercion (threatening to leave a partner if she doesn’t become pregnant, refusing to use a condom, injuring a partner in a way that she may have a miscarriage, coercing the termination of a pregnancy or coercing a woman to carry to term through threats or acts of violence.
