Domestic Violence

On this page

Basics

• Summary
• Start Here

Learn More

• Related Issues
• Specifics

See, Play and Learn

• Videos and Tutorials

Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Teenagers
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Domestic violence is a type of abuse. It usually involves a spouse or partner, but it can also be a child, elderly relative, or other family member.

Domestic violence may include

• Physical violence that can lead to injuries such as bruises or broken bones
• Sexual violence
• Threats of physical or sexual violence
• Emotional abuse that may lead to depression, anxiety, or social isolation
• Economic abuse, which involves controlling access to money
• Stalking, which causes fear for your own safety

The first step in getting help is to tell someone you trust, such as a friend, family member, or co-worker. You can also contact your doctor or another health care professional, an emergency shelter, or a domestic violence helpline.

The first step in getting help is to tell someone you trust.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Start Here

• Domestic Violence (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) - PDF Also in Spanish
• Domestic Violence (Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women)
• Domestic Violence: Protecting Yourself and Your Children (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

• Abuse, Maltreatment and PTSD and Their Relationship to Migraine (American Migraine Foundation)
• Building Social Bonds: Connections That Promote Well-Being (National Institutes of Health)
• Common Reactions After Trauma (National Center for PTSD) Also in Spanish

Specifics

• Dating Violence (Healthy Roads Media) - PDF Also in Spanish
• Domestic Violence against Men: Know the Signs (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Domestic Violence against Women: Recognize Patterns, Seek Help (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Intimate Partner Violence (American College of Nurse-Midwives) - PDF
• Know Your Rights: Domestic Violence (American Bar Association) - PDF
• Leaving an Abusive Relationship (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health) Also in Spanish
• Violence Against Women: Same-Sex Relationship Violence (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)
• Violence and Abuse in Rural America (Rural Health Information Hub)

Videos and Tutorials

• Dating Violence (Healthy Roads Media) Also in Spanish

Statistics and Research

• Intersection of Intimate Partner Violence and HIV in Women (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF
• Intimate Partner Violence in the United States - 2010 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF
• Intimate Partner Violence, 1993-2010 (Department of Justice) - PDF
• National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey: 2010 Findings on Victimization by Sexual Orientation (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF
• Violence against Women (World Health Organization) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Domestic Violence (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Spouse Abuse (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Nurse perceptions of the family violence screening process and education...
• Article: Domestic violence is poorly covered in medical training, study finds.
• Article: Prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy in China:...
• Domestic Violence -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Also in Spanish
• Civil Domestic Violence Resources (National Institutes of Health)
• Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women
• Violence against Women: Resources by State (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)

Children

• Helping Children Exposed to Domestic Violence (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)
• When Your Parents Fight (For Kids) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Teenagers

• Abuse (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Dating Violence (National Center for Victims of Crime)
• Expect Respect: Healthy Relationships (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
• Is Your Teen in an Abusive Relationship? (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Sexual Harassment and Sexual Bulllying (For Teens) (Nemours Foundation)
• Stalking (National Center for Victims of Crime)
• Teen Dating Violence (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• When Parents Argue (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Domestic violence (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish