CONTENTS

About This Course

Table of Contents

1. Getting The Basics
2. Substance Abuse
3. Violence Against Women
4. Violent Men
5. Alcohol and Violence
6. Alcohol, Drugs and Sexual Assault (Date Rape)
7. Preventing Sexual Assault
8. After a Rape or Sexual Assault
9. Assistance - Women
10. Assistance - Men
11. Legal Options

Supplements
Resources
Glossary
Fact Sheets

It Won't Happen to Me:
Substance Abuse-Related Violence Against Women for Anyone Concerned About The Issues

Abuse

Abuse generally refers to a pattern of behavior. A one-time incident may not be abuse, but incidents on a regular basis could be considered abuse. In addition, intermittent and unpredictable incidents could be considered abuse, because the woman lives in constant fear of what could happen.

Some types of abuse⁸ follow. Numerous examples illustrate these types of abuse.

Emotional Abuse

Roughly 8 percent of all U.S. women have been stalked in their lifetime.

Emotional abuse and psychological abuse are often used interchangeably. While they are shown here as two separate types of abuse, there is not always a clear distinction. Often, behavior overlaps between the two. Emotional abuse includes name calling or hurting your feelings by saying cruel, threatening, or unfair things.

Psychological Abuse

Psychological abuse is any threat to do bodily harm to a partner, child, family member, friends, pets, or self (suicide). Psychological abuse involves not only hurt and anger, but also fear and humiliation. The purpose is to render you helpless so that you cannot leave your abuser.

Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse is any sexual act or behavior repeated over time to which you did not consent. A single incident is sexual assault. Multiple incidents are abuse.

Physical Abuse

Physical abuse is any forceful or violent physical behavior repeated over time. This includes things like pushing, shoving, hitting, punching, and spitting. One incident is battery. Multiple incidents are abuse.

Stalking

Stalking generally refers to harassing or threatening behavior that a person engages in over and over (two or more times). The behavior makes the victim afraid for her safety and may lead to physical violence, even murder.

There is a strong connection between stalking and other violence against women such as physical or sexual assault and homicide. Stalking is more prevalent than most people realize. Roughly 8 percent of all U.S. women have been stalked in their lifetime. More than 1 million women are stalked each year.⁹

Stalkers are usually someone the victim knows very well, such as an ex-boyfriend or spouse. Women between the ages of 18 and 29 are at the highest risk of being stalked. If you or someone you know is being stalked, you should seek help from the police immediately.