Ask. Listen. Learn.
We can ALL help end domestic violence

Ask yourself.

• Am I safe and respected in my relationships?
• Do I treat the people I love with respect and nonviolence?
• Do I know the signs of domestic violence?
• Would I know how to help a friend or family member who was being abused?
• Do I want to live in a world where people are humiliated, beaten, and killed by their intimate partners every day?
• What can I do to help end this violence?

Listen to the facts.

Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behaviors used by one person to control another person in the context of an intimate or family relationship. The abuse can be physical, sexual, and/or emotional.

• 1 in 4 women and 1 in 14 men have been physically assaulted or raped by an intimate partner. (National Violence Against Women Survey, 2000)
• In 2002, more than 40,000 calls were made to family violence or sexual assault hotlines in Virginia. (VAdata Report on Sexual & Domestic Violence)
• 3 out of 4 domestic violence victims who received services from a domestic violence program in 2002 reported that they sought help from a family member or friend first. (VAdata)
• In 2001, 55 Virginia women and 13 men died in a total of 68 intimate partner homicides. (Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, January 2003)

Learn what you can do.

• Call the police if you see or hear abuse in progress.
• Model respectful, non-violent behavior in your personal relationships.
• Speak up when others belittle women, make jokes about domestic violence, or spread stereotypes about abuse.
• Educate yourself about domestic violence at www.vsdvalliance.org

For more information or immediate help, call the free, confidential, 24-hour Virginia Family Violence & Sexual Assault Hotline at 1.800.838.8238 (v/tty).