The Signs

Domestic Violence

Domestic Violence is a complex problem that affects nearly 20 people per minute nationwide and can range from physical or sexual violence, to threats, to financial or emotional abuse. Contact our helpline immediately to speak to an advocate if you think you, or someone you love, is experiencing abuse.

Sexual Violence

Sexual violence is one of the most underreported crimes in our society today. If you or a loved one has experienced sexual assault, contact our helpline immediately to speak to an advocate.
Drugs and alcohol can affect one’s ability to give consent, and choosing to drink or use drugs does not give another person permission to hurt you.

How Do You Know?

Domestic Violence

Domestic violence is an act, or threatened act, of violence upon a person with whom the actor is, or has been, involved in an intimate relationship.*

Domestic violence also includes any other crime against a person, or against property, including an animal, or any municipal ordinance violation against a person, or against property, including an animal, when used as a method of coercion, control, punishment, intimidation, or revenge directed against a person with whom the actor is or has been involved in an intimate relationship.*

*Intimate Relationship: A relationship between spouses, former spouses, past or present unmarried couples, or persons who are both the parents of the same child regardless of whether the persons have been married or have lived together at any time.

Early in a relationship, it is not always easy to tell if it will later become abusive. Many abusive people appear like ideal partners in the early stages of a relationship and possessive and controlling behaviors may emerge and intensify as the relationship grows.

Every relationship is different and domestic violence doesn’t always look the same. But a commonality tends to be that the abusive partner tries to establish or gain power and control through a variety of means.

Sexual Assault

At SMRC, we define sexual assault as “any unwanted sexual action, whether physical or emotional, that is perceived as a violation of one’s own wishes or desires”. Whether it was a friend, family member, significant other, teacher, coworker, neighbor, etc., your experience matters.

There are many forms of sexual violence, and these include:

  • Non-consensual touching of body parts or genitals.

  • Non-consensual sexual advances; requests for sexual favors directly affecting your job, school performance, or other parts of your life, if rejected; and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.

  • Non-consensual sexual intercourse or sexual acts with a friend, partner, spouse, or another person when you did not give consent.

  • Sexual contact of any kind by a helping professional (teacher, doctor, therapist, priest, police officer, and others) toward a client.

  • Sexual contact inflicted on someone who is legally unable to grant consent.

What constitutes sexual assault is that one person in the encounter does not give consent to the sexual activity. And minors may not legally be able to consent to any kind of sexual activity based on the age of the perpetrator and state law. Drugs and alcohol can affect one’s ability to give consent, but choosing to drink or use drugs does not give another person permission to hurt you. Most sexual assaults are committed by a known perpetrator (i.e. a date, neighbor, partner, acquaintance, or a trusted friend). It is common to feel confused and betrayed.

Power + Control

Domestic violence is caused by a partner seeking power and control over the other. This wheel is a powerful tool used to help clients recognize behavior they see with their partners.

Some clients are unaware that they are even in a unhealthy relationship.