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According to the United States Department of Justice, domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain control over another intimate partner. Many types of abuse are included in the definition of domestic violence:
- Physical abuse
- Sexual abuse
- Emotional abuse
- Economic abuse
- Psychological abuse
- Threats
- Stalking
- Cyberstalking
A common cycle of behaviors is represented in the wheel below:
If You are a Victim of Domestic Violence
For your safety at home, you may wish to:
- Locally, contact the Durham Crisis Response Center or call 919-403-6562 or 919-519-3735 (Spanish).
- Seek immediate help from a hotline such as The North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence or call 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or TTY 1-800-787-3224.
- Call 911 for an immediate crisis
- Consider getting a DVPO (Domestic Violence Protective Order). Learn how to get a protective order.
For your safety at work, you may wish to:
- Contact the Duke Police 919-684-2444. Often perpetrators of domestic violence will attempt to sabotage their partners' careers or jobs. They often do this through relentless phone calls or texts to victims at work. You may feel embarrassed or ashamed about your situation at home; however, there are many victims of violence in workplaces. You are not alone.
- Ask Duke Police or Hospital Security for an escort to and from your car.
- Contact PAS for confidential counseling.