Victims of domestic violence may feel like there is no escaping the physical and emotional abuse. However, laws are in place to protect them. They merely need to know where to turn for the best help possible. If you or a loved one is a victim of domestic violence, you should seek help right away. Domestic violence attorneys dedicate their careers to protecting victims from further harm. They understand how crucial it is for you to feel safe, and we will do everything in their power to ensure that you can move on with your life without feeling threatened.
Domestic Violence Is More Common Than You May Realize
Nationwide, a third of all women and one-quarter of all men have experienced some type of physical violence that was committed by a close relative or intimate partner. Powerful laws are established to protect domestic violence victims. They are designed to keep perpetrators away from victims. They also stop them from having legal access to firearms. According to these laws, anyone who has a misdemeanor domestic violence or stalking conviction cannot own a firearm. This extends to any individual who has been served a temporary protective order. These individuals must surrender any weapons they own to a “qualified person.”
What Constitutes Domestic Violence?
Domestic violence is broadly defined as physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, harassment, intimidation, interference with personal liberties, stalking, willful deprivation, and more. It has a rather broad definition, but the reason for this is that domestic abuse can take many forms, including these:
Physical abuse: Physical abuse includes acts such as:
- Shoving
- Grabbing
- Punching
- Hair-pulling
- Slapping
- Biting
- Kicking
- Denial of medical care
- Forcing an individual to consume alcohol or drugs against their will
- Other mechanical actions that could lead to injury
Sexual abuse: Sexual abuse includes:
- Rape, including marital rape
- Coercion of sexual contact
- Sexual demeaning another
- An attack on genitalia
Emotional abuse: Emotional abuse includes acts such as:
- Name-calling
- Belittling
- Excessive criticism
- Damaging a person’s relationship with their children
Psychological abuse: Psychological abuse includes:
- Actions that cause fear
- Actions that create a sense of isolation
- Threats to harm another family member, self, loved one, colleague, or pets
- Acts of intimidation
- Acts that isolate a person from work, school, family, friends, and extracurricular activities intentionally
Financial abuse: Financial abuse concerns acts that
- Exert control over someone through total control of financial resources
- Withhold someone’s access to money
- Forbid education
- Forbid employment
What Options Are Available to Victims of Domestic Violence?
If you’ve experienced any of the above examples, or any of them describe your current or past situation, you should seek help immediately to ensure no further abuse takes place. Once you are safe, you can reach out to a domestic violence attorney to find out about your legal options. This may include obtaining a temporary restraining order or a protection order. Or, your attorney may need to file for an emergency allocation order until a more permanent solution can be arranged. Your safety is your lawyer’s top priority. They can take the necessary legal steps to make sure you are protected.