What is DV?

Domestic violence victims can be female or male. DAFS is committed to helping victims of domestic violence without regard to age, race, religion, sexual orientation, immigration status, or other factors. We are here to serve everyone who needs us.

Domestic abuse can be acts of physical, sexual, and emotional attacks between persons who maintain an intimate relationship or family/household members who live together or formerly lived together.

If a person exhibits three or more of the following signs, there is a high likelihood of potential abuse in the relationship:

Past Abuse
Likely to have seen a parent or other loved one abused.

Threats of Violence or Abuse
Threats can involve anything that is meant to control the victim, including threats of violence against the victims, family member, pet, friend, ex, or anyone else.

Breaking Objects
An abuser may terrify the victim with actions such as punching holes in walls, breaking items, or throwing objects. 

Any Force During an Argument
This would be shown during arguments or any other time and can include the examples of holding the victim down, physically restraining the victim from leaving the room, or pushing and shoving. 

Jealousy
Jealousy isn’t a sign of love even though many abusers will use the excuse. It’s a sign of possessiveness and insecurity.

Controlling Behavior
Control can begin as becoming angry for being late or not available for a phone call and evolve into dictating wardrobe, hairstyle, makeup, talking with friends and family, etc.

Quick Involvement
An abuser often claims “love at first sight,” but that’s not always true. An abusive person wants to gain immediate control of the victim and will often flatter the victim for a period of time to gain trust.

Unrealistic Expectations
The abuser often expects the victim to do everything for them.

Isolation
The abuser will attempt to diminish and destroy the victim’s support system by cutting off ties with friends and family. Sometimes the abuser even controls whether or not the victim has a job or can go grocery shopping or run other errands alone.

Blames Others for Problems
The abuser almost always blames the victim and other people for all of their problems.

Cruelty to Animals or Children
An abuser may brutally punish animals or be insensitive to their pain or suffering. Pets can be used to control the victim or to emotionally abuse them. That’s why DAFS offers emergency shelter for your pets while you’re escaping a bad situation.