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

Methods of Abuse

Using Financial Pressure

• Trying to keep her from getting a job or keeping a job. Some men will harass a woman outside her workplace and annoy coworkers or supervisors.
• Keeping all of her paycheck, making her ask for all her money, making her accountable for every dime spent.

Using the Children

• Threatening to take the children.
• Threatening to hurt or kill the children if she leaves.
• Using the children to deliver hateful or harassing messages to the mother.
• Using visits with the children as a way to harass her.

Using Male Privilege

• Treating her like a servant in her own home.
• Making all the decisions that she has to follow.
• Aligning with the police (male officer) by saying things like, "It's just that time of the month for her...she gets hysterical." He plays down any abuse that the officer may see.

Instilling Fear

• Using threatening body language such as raising a fist to make the woman feel unsafe.
• Looking at her in a way that she knows means he is angry and may hurt her.
• Smashing things or throwing things around the house to show who is in charge.
• Threatening to hurt her unless she gets drunk or does drugs with him.

Isolating the Woman

• Telling her over and over that she should not need her family and friends since he is everything to her. He tells her he loves her more than anyone else in the world.
• Not allowing her to visit friends or have friends over.
• Not allowing her to call family or friends.

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