Domestic violence is a crime.

Domestic violence is a pattern of controlling behaviors that may include physical, sexual, or emotional abuse. The violence can cause severe physical and emotional harm to adults and children. If your spouse, life partner, boyfriend, girlfriend, family member, someone you have a child with, or someone you have lived with attacks you in any unwanted way, you are involved in domestic violence.

Some examples are:

• Kicks, pushes, hits, slaps, or other types of physical attacks
• Curses, yells, or calls you names
• Threatens to kill you, someone you love, or a pet
• Forces you to have sex
• Threatens your job security
• Threatens to report you to the police
• Threatens to have you deported
• Threatens to take your children
• Not allowing you to see friends or family
• Not allowing you to take birth control
• Not allowing you to get medical help or social services
• Controls all or most of the money
• Possessive or extremely jealous
• Misrepresents you to important persons in your life