Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence Support and Education
At the university, we are committed to supporting survivors and connecting our community members to the tools needed to provide effective support for individuals who may disclose.
We strive to create a community that engages in programming initiatives to help build a culture of consent and empower everyone to intervene in situations where domestic and intimate partner violence has taken or may take place.
We also include those who have experienced any type of trauma in these supports and encourage survivors of any type of violence to use the supports available to them on and off campus.
What is domestic and/or intimate partner violence?
The terms domestic violence and intimate partner violence are synonymous terms which are used to describe the physical, sexual and emotional abuse as well as sexual coercion and stalking by a current or former intimate partner. These violent and coercive behaviours are utilized to gain, cultivate and prolong power and control over someone they are intimate with.
An intimate partner is someone with whom you’ve had or have a close personal or sexual relationship with.
This type of violence affects individuals of all different ages, gender identities, sexual orientations, abilities, races, religious background, income levels and quantity of education.
The following is a list of the subtypes of domestic violence with examples of each.
Physical violence:
- Coercion and threats
- Both verbal and written threats used to hurt, kill or end relationships, commit suicide or report.
- Economic and academic abuse
- Controlling money, stealing money, preventing a partner from obtaining an education, preventing a partner from going to work of choice.
- Intimidation
- Threatening looks, actions, gestures, destroying property, abusing children, abusing pets, displaying weapons.
Emotional abuse:
- Emotional misconduct
- Excessive criticism, picking at insecurities, humiliation, guilt.
- Isolation
- Controlling contact with friends, family, possessions. Policing internet and phone use, moving away from support systems.
Sexual violence:
- Blaming, minimizing, denial and manipulation
- Shifting blame and responsibility for abuse. Denying that sexual abuse happened.
- Demeaning the sexual assault attack and saying that the abusive event was not that severe.
- Making you have sex when you don't want to and later making it seem like you wanted it.
The cycle of violence seen within relationships can be very difficult for individuals to break from without intervention and an external support system for the victim. It is crucial that there is public awareness and acknowledgement of the problem in order to break the cycle of domestic violence that exists in far too many relationships.
References:
Domestic Violence and Intimate Partner Violence: What’s The Difference?
Support and Education
The support for domestic violence provided by Student Life mirrors the support available for sexual violence. Go to the Sexual Violence Support and Education website:
