Family Violence
Maintaining positive relationships with your family and significant others is an important part of a healthy and balanced lifestyle. An abusive relationship will have a negative impact on your physical, mental and emotional well-being.
In some cases, it can be hard to tell if your significant other is becoming abusive. However, you can look for some of the following behaviors:
- Telling you that you can never do anything right.
- Keeping you or discouraging you from seeing friends or family members.
- Controlling every penny spent in the household.
- Looking at you or acting in ways that scare you.
- Preventing you from making your own decisions.
- Intimidating you with guns, knives or other weapons.
Abusive relationships are serious. If you think you need help, there are programs and services available.
Getting Help
The National Domestic Violence program provides a 24-hour crisis hotline that offers the following services:
- Someone who will pick you up and take you to a safe place or home anytime — day or night.
- Emergency medical care.
- People who will give you support and help you work through your problems.
- Legal help in the civil and criminal justice systems.
- Help with keeping your children in school.
- Job training and help getting a job.
- Help getting other services you need.
If you need help, call the hotline any time at 1-800-799-7233.
People with a speech or hearing disability looking for help can call the following numbers:
- 1-800-787-3224 (TTY)
- 1-206-518-9361 (video phone)
More information is also available at the following websites. Click a link below.