Every woman has the right to live her life safely and free of violence. Yet one in four women in the United States experiences violence from an intimate partner. Intimate partner violence includes domestic abuse, sexual assault, verbal and emotional abuse, coercion, and stalking. Violence and abuse can cause physical and emotional problems that last long after the abuse. If you’ve experienced violence or abuse, it is never your fault, and you can get help.
Healthy Relationships
Unhealthy Relationships
Love & Romance
Fulfilling Relationships
Abusive Relationships
Rape & Sexual Assaul
Break-ups & Moving On
Separation & Divorce
Professional Relationships
Workplace Violence
Workplace Aggression
Parental Relationship
Family Relationship
https://www.womenshealth.gov/relationships-and-safety
Top questions about violence against women
In a close relationship, it can be difficult to know whether you are being abused, especially if your partner says they love you, gives you a lot of attention, or pays for the groceries or rent. People who are abusive sometimes act loving and supportive as a way to keep you in the relationship. A partner’s loving behavior does not make their abusive behavior OK. Forced sex and cruel or threatening words are forms of abuse. Learn more about how to recognize abuse.
There are many types of violence and abuse. Some of these signs are signs of physical abuse or domestic violence. Some are signs of emotional and verbal abuse or sexual abuse.
Signs of abuse include:
If you think someone is abusing you, get help. Abuse can have serious physical and emotional effects.
Sometimes a romantic relationship may not be abusive but may have serious problems that make it unhealthy. If you think you might be in an unhealthy relationship, try talking with your partner about your concerns. If that seems difficult, you might also talk to a trusted friend, family member, counselor, or religious leader.
You might be in an unhealthy relationship if you:
Domestic violence is sometimes called intimate partner violence. It includes physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, as well as sexual coercion and stalking by a current or former intimate partner.1 An intimate partner is a person with whom you have or had a close personal or sexual relationship. Intimate partner violence affects millions of women each year in the United States.
https://www.womenshealth.gov/relationships-and-safety/domestic-violence
Intimate partner violence, or domestic violence, can be difficult to see if it starts little by little, if your partner says they love you, or if they support you financially. Domestic violence can include forced sex, physical abuse, and emotional abuse, such as cruel words or threats. It can happen between married people, to a couple who lives together or apart, or to a same-sex couple. Abuse is never OK.
You may be experiencing domestic violence if your partner:
If you are in a same-sex relationship, many signs of domestic violence are the same as other people in an abusive relationship. Your partner may hit you, try to control you, or force you to have sex. But you may also experience additional signs of abuse, including:
Regardless of your gender identity or sexual orientation, no one has the right to physically hurt you or threaten your safety.
Your safety is the most important concern. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
If you are not in immediate danger, consider these options:
If you are the victim of domestic violence, know that you are not alone. There are people who want to help you and who are trained to respond. See our page on leaving an abusive relationship for tips on what to do and where to go.
Domestic violence often results in physical and emotional injuries. It can also lead to other health problems, reproductive health challenges, mental health conditions such as depression, and suicide. Women affected by intimate partner violence are also more likely to use drugs or alcohol to cope.
Domestic violence can even end in death. Women who live in a home with guns are five times more likely to be killed.1 More than half of women murdered with guns are killed by intimate partners.2
Domestic or intimate partner violence is a very common type of violence against women:
Gender and sexual minority women, such as lesbian or bisexual women, may be more likely than heterosexual women to experience domestic violence.6 Two in five lesbian women and three in five bisexual women experience intimate partner violence at some point in their lifetimes.6
Researchers think women who identify as something other than straight or cisgender (people whose biological sex matches their gender identity) may experience higher levels of domestic violence. But there is not yet enough research on all types of gender and sexual minority women to know for sure.
Learn more about other signs of domestic violence in same-sex relationships.
For more information about domestic or intimate partner violence, call the OWH Helpline at 1-800-994-9662 or contact the following organizations:
If you are in an abusive relationship, you can take steps to protect yourself, such as getting a restraining order. There are also laws to protect you. One option is leaving the relationship. Many people can support you in leaving safely, including police, social workers, shelter workers, and friends and family. You can also create a safety plan if you decide to leave in the future.
First, the police will make sure everyone is safe, which might mean arresting someone who has a weapon or is physically hurting or threatening you.
Once you are safe, the police will ask you questions about what happened. The police can also offer information about community resources for temporary housing and other support you might need. If the alleged abuser is present, police will probably take you to separate areas to talk individually about what happened.
It can be difficult to talk to strangers — police, counselors, or health care professionals. You might feel scared, ashamed, or embarrassed. It can also be difficult to tell your story many times to different people. Take your time. They are there to help. The questions they ask are necessary for the official police report, which will be used to support a court case if there is one.
If you aren’t ready to report the violence or leave your abuser, you can take steps to make yourself safer now.
When the police investigate a crime, or ask you and other witnesses questions about what happened, they must file a report. A police report is not the same thing as filing charges. This police report is important. It documents the violence, even if the abuser denies the violence, and creates an official record that can be used as evidence in court.
The police may decide to file criminal charges against the abuser after their investigation is completed. Once the police file criminal charges, a lawyer for the state (called a prosecutor) will begin a court case against the abuser.
You can choose what to share with the officers who respond. Only you can decide what to say, because you know your situation better than anyone else.
If you want to hold the person criminally accountable:
Even if there isn’t a criminal charge filed against your partner, you can use the police report to help you if you go to family court or get a protection order.
Learn more at the Center for Domestic Peace (link is external) about the benefits of calling the police and about what to tell the police when they arrive.
Maybe. If you’ve been abused and call the police, the police must file a report. A lawyer for the state government, called the prosecutor, may decide to file a criminal charge in court against the person who hurt you. When this happens, the state government brings charges against the person who harmed you. At this point, you can no longer drop the charges, because it is the state government, not you, that has filed the charges. In court, the state will try to prove its case against the person who hurt you.
Protection orders, often called restraining orders, are meant to keep you safe from a person who is harassing or hurting you. The police can arrest a person who violates a restraining order and charge them with a crime. Depending on the laws in your state, restraining orders may also allow you to have sole custody of children, make an abuser move out of a shared home, and make an abuser pay your court and legal fees.1 Federal law says that you can get a restraining order for free.
You can get more than one type of restraining order at the same time. Laws about restraining orders or other orders of protection are different in each state. Learn more about the laws in your state at WomensLaw.org (link is external). Experts in local law will be able to help you the most.
Common types of restraining orders include:
A restraining, or protection, order can legally force someone who abuses you or harasses you to:
If you have a restraining order and the person who hurt you does not follow it (tries to contact you or your children), call the police right away. The police can arrest the person for not following the order.
You can apply for a restraining (or protection) order at courthouses, women’s shelters, lawyers’ offices, and some police stations. You do not need a lawyer to get a restraining order. Federal law says that you can get a restraining order for free.
Still, you might want to get help from a lawyer to understand your rights. Often, a local domestic violence agency can help you find a lawyer. Some lawyers will help you for free. You can find a list in your state of organizations and lawyers that provide free and low-cost legal services at WomensLaw.org (link is external).
To file most types of restraining, or protection, orders, you will go to a family court located in the county where you live, where the person who hurt or harassed you lives, or where the abuse happened. You will fill out forms and provide specific information about when, where, and how the abuse or harassment happened.
A family court is very different from a criminal court. A family court will view you and your partner as equals. It becomes your word against your partner’s, unless you have police reports and documents showing criminal charges against your partner. The family court must include those documents when making a judgment about your case.
If you decide to go to family court, work with an experienced attorney to prepare your case. Collect police reports, arrest records, and documents showing charges filed against your partner. If you have pictures of injuries, hospital records, or pictures of property damage, include them. Tell your attorney about any witnesses to the abuse so the witnesses can provide statements about what they saw.
You can find a lawyer to help you at WomensLaw.org (link is external). You can also call the National Domestic Violence Hotline (link is external), 800-799-SAFE (7233), or the National Sexual Assault Hotline (link is external), 800-656-HOPE (4673), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They can answer questions or help you find resources in your area. The Victim Connect Resource Center (link is external) also provides referrals to local services.
Your partner may threaten to take your children if you leave. Here are some steps to help protect your children:
If you have a restraining order or custody order, give a copy to your children’s school and child care providers. Ask them not to release the children to the abuser or anyone else not authorized to be with your children.
Yes. There are laws against domestic and sexual violence, and they can help protect you. To protect you, a law must be enforced. For it to be enforced, a person must report domestic violence to the police as soon as possible after it happens.
Most domestic violence and sexual assault laws are state laws, which means they might be different in different states. So what is against the law in one state might not be in another. Regardless of the specific laws in your state, domestic or sexual violence is never your fault. It is never OK to hurt or abuse someone else.
Find out more about domestic violence and sexual assault laws in your state (link is external).
Learn more about the laws protecting women against violence.
It can be difficult to think about leaving your home, your partner, and the life you have right now. You may not be ready to leave the relationship right away, but if you are in immediate danger, get to a safe place. You can start thinking about what to do if you need to leave in a hurry, and how you can be safe.
If you can’t leave or you decide not to leave right now, consider these tips for protecting yourself:
Create a safety plan. Leaving an abusive relationship can be dangerous, but you can make a plan to make it safer. Start with your safety packing list, which includes a list of the most important documents, medicines, and items to take when you leave. Learn more (link is external) about creating a safety plan.
You may think you can stop your partner’s abusive behavior. But only your partner is in control of changing his or her behavior. You must take steps to protect yourself and your children.
For more information about domestic or intimate partner violence, call the OWH Helpline at 1-800-994-9662 or check out the following resources from other organizations:
Leaving an abusive relationship
No one should feel unsafe. If you are in an unsafe, violent relationship, you might be thinking of leaving. You do not have to leave today or do it all at once. But a safety plan can help you know what to do when you are ready to leave. Having a plan in place can help you get out safely later if you do decide to leave
.
Many children exposed to violence in the home are also victims of physical abuse.1 Children who witness domestic violence or are victims of abuse themselves are at serious risk for long-term physical and mental health problems.2 Children who witness violence between parents may also be at greater risk of being violent in their future relationships. If you are a parent who is experiencing abuse, it can be difficult to know how to protect your child.
Children in homes where one parent is abused may feel fearful and anxious. They may always be on guard, wondering when the next violent event will happen.3 This can cause them to react in different ways, depending on their age:
More than 15 million children in the United States live in homes in which domestic violence has happened at least once.5 These children are at greater risk for repeating the cycle as adults by entering into abusive relationships or becoming abusers themselves. For example, a boy who sees his mother being abused is 10 times more likely to abuse his female partner as an adult. A girl who grows up in a home where her father abuses her mother is more than six times as likely to be sexually abused as a girl who grows up in a non-abusive home.6
Children who witness or are victims of emotional, physical, or sexual abuse are at higher risk for health problems as adults. These can include mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety. They may also include diabetes, obesity, heart disease, poor self-esteem, and other problems.7
Each child responds differently to abuse and trauma. Some children are more resilient, and some are more sensitive. How successful a child is at recovering from abuse or trauma depends on several things, including having:8
Although children will probably never forget what they saw or experienced during the abuse, they can learn healthy ways to deal with their emotions and memories as they mature. The sooner a child gets help, the better his or her chances for becoming a mentally and physically healthy adult.
You can help your children by:
Your doctor can recommend a mental health professional who works with children who have been exposed to violence or abuse. Many shelters and domestic violence organizations also have support groups for kids.13 These groups can help children by letting them know they are not alone and helping them process their experiences in a nonjudgmental place.14
Children do best in a safe, stable, loving environment, whether that’s with one parent or two. You may think that your kids won’t be negatively affected by the abuse if they never see it happen. But children can also hear abuse, such as screaming and the sounds of hitting. They can also sense tension and fear. Even if your kids don’t see you being abused, they can be negatively affected by the violence they know is happening.
If you decide to leave an abusive relationship, you may be helping your children feel safer and making them less likely to tolerate abuse as they get older.15 If you decide not to leave, you can still take steps to protect your children and yourself.
Your safety and the safety of your children are the biggest priorities. If you are not yet ready or willing to leave an abusive relationship, you can take steps to help yourself and your children now, including:16
If you are thinking about leaving an abusive relationship, you may want to keep quiet about it in front of your children. Young children may not be able to keep a secret from an adult in their life. Children may say something about your plan to leave without realizing it. If it would be unsafe for an abusive partner to know ahead of time you’re planning to leave, talk only to trusted adults about your plan. It’s better for you and your children to be physically safe than for your children to know ahead of time that you will be leaving.
For more information about the effects of domestic violence on children, call the OWH Helpline at 1-800-994-9662 or check out the following resources from other organizations:
Sexual assault is any kind of unwanted sexual activity, from touching to rape. If you have been sexually assaulted, it is not your fault, and you are not alone. You can get help.
Sexual assault is any type of sexual activity or contact that you do not consent to. Sexual assault can happen through physical force or threats of force or if the attacker gave the victim drugs or alcohol as part of the assault. Sexual assault includes rape and sexual coercion. In the United States, one in three women has experienced some type of sexual violence.1 If you have been sexually assaulted, it is not your fault, regardless of the circumstances.
Sexual assault is any type of sexual activity or contact, including rape, that happens without your consent. Sexual assault can include non-contact activities, such as someone “flashing” you (exposing themselves to you) or forcing you to look at sexual images.2
Sexual assault is also called sexual violence or abuse. Legal definitions of sexual assault and other crimes of sexual violence can vary slightly from state to state. If you’ve been assaulted, it is never your fault.
Sexual assault can include:3
Sexual assault can also be verbal, visual, or non-contact. It is anything that forces a person to join in unwanted sexual activities or attention. Other examples can include:4
Consent is a clear “yes” to sexual activity. Not saying “no” does not mean you have given consent. Sexual contact without consent is sexual assault or rape.
Your consent means:
Sometimes you cannot give legal consent to sexual activity or contact — for example, if you are:
Remember:
Sexual assault is most often committed by someone the victim knows.1 This may be a friend, an acquaintance, an ex, a relative, a date, or a partner. Less often, a stranger commits sexual assault.
Women and men commit sexual assault, but more than 90% of people who commit sexual violence against women are men.1
Four of every five women who are raped are raped before age 25. About 40% of women who have been raped, or two in every five, were assaulted before age 18.1
Yes. Sexual assault is any sexual activity you do not consent to — no matter whom it is with.
Sexual assault by an intimate partner (someone you have a sexual or romantic relationship with) is common. Nearly half of female rape victims were raped by a current or former partner.1
If you are in danger or need medical care, call 911. If you can, get away from the person who assaulted you and get to a safe place as fast as you can. You can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline (link is external) at 800-656-HOPE (4673) to connect with a sexual assault service provider in your area who can direct you to local resources.
After a sexual assault, you may feel fear, shame, guilt, or shock. All of these feelings are normal, and each survivor can feel a different range of emotions at different times in the recovery process. Sexual assault is never your fault. It may be frightening to think about talking about the assault, but it is important to get help. You can call these organizations any time, day or night. The calls are free and confidential.
Each state and territory has organizations and hotlines to help people who have been sexually assaulted. These numbers can show up on your phone bill or history, so try to use a public phone or a friend’s cellphone.
If you are assaulted, or if you find yourself in a situation that feels unsafe, it is not your fault. Sexual assault is never the victim’s fault, no matter what she was wearing, drinking, or doing at the time of the assault. You can’t prevent sexual assault, but you can take steps to be safer around others:5,6
Yes. Research shows that up to three out of four attackers had been drinking alcohol when they sexually assaulted someone.8
Research also shows that about half of sexual assault victims had been drinking.8 However, this does not mean that drinking causes sexual assault or that the violence is the victim’s fault. Many attackers use alcohol as a way to make you drunk and unable to consent, understand what is happening, or remember the assault. They may take advantage of a victim who has already been drinking or encourage her to drink more than she might normally drink. If someone sexually assaulted you while you were drunk or passed out, they have committed a crime, no matter how much you had to drink or how old you are.
Some attackers also use drugs called date rape drugs. These drugs are put into drinks — even nonalcoholic drinks — or food without the victim’s knowledge. The drugs can cause memory loss, so victims may not know what happened. Some attackers also use other drugs, such as ecstasy, marijuana, or prescription pills. They may give drugs to someone who takes them willingly or may drug someone without her knowledge.
Someone who is drunk, drugged, or high on drugs cannot give consent. Without consent, any sexual activity is sexual assault.
Yes, sexual assault can have long-term health effects. People who have experienced sexual violence or stalking by any person or physical violence by an intimate partner are more likely to report:1
Other health effects can include:9
Getting support after a sexual assault can help. You are not alone. Reach out to friends or family, talk to a counselor or advocate, or join a support group in person or online.
You can help a friend or family member who was sexually assaulted by listening and offering comfort. Remind this person you believe them. Reinforce the message that she or he is not at fault. A victim never causes sexual assault or “asks for it.” You can also explain that it is natural to experience confusion, have problems remembering what happened, or feel angry, numb, or ashamed.
Ask the person whether she would like you to go with her to the hospital or to counseling. If she decides to report the crime to the police, ask whether she would like you to go with her. Let her know that she can get help. Let her know about the hotlines to call to talk to someone. Get more tips on helping someone who has been sexually assaulted or abused.
For more information about sexual assault, call the OWH Helpline at 1-800-994-9662 or check out the following resources from other organizations:
Rape is a type of sexual assault that includes sexual penetration, no matter how slight, without consent. Although other types of sexual assault may be done by men or women, rape is almost always done by men.1 Most women who are raped are raped by someone they know, such as a former or current intimate partner, an acquaintance, or a family member.1 Rape is never the victim’s fault
The U.S. Department of Justice defines rape as “the penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.”3 The federal government uses this legal definition to collect information from local police about rape. The legal definition of rape may be slightly different in your community.
Giving your consent means giving a clear “yes” to any type of sexual activity, though the laws about consent vary from state to state. It is also rape when penetration takes place when you are drunk, high, drugged, passed out, or asleep and cannot give consent. People under the age of 18 (in most states) cannot give consent to sexual activity with an adult.
You may not be sure if you were raped. The definition of rape is different in different states. But you may have been raped if you were penetrated — even partially — by a body part or object without your permission. In some states, penetration by other body parts, such as fingers or objects, is also rape. If you were drinking, were drugged, or were unconscious, you may not know if you were raped.
Find out more and get help by calling the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN (link is external)) at 800-656-HOPE (4673).
After a rape, it can be difficult to think about being touched in personal areas by doctors or nurses. But it’s important that you get examined by health professionals who can look for internal injuries and get you medicines to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and pregnancy.
Go to a hospital emergency room or a special clinic where staff are specially trained to treat rape and sexual assault victims. To find a special clinic in your community, call the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN (link is external)) at 800-656-HOPE (4673). The police can also tell you where to find a clinic in your area.
If you think you were drugged, ask the hospital or clinic to take a urine sample. This will make it possible to test for date rape drugs like Rohypnol or GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyric acid). But these drugs pass through the body quickly and may not be detectable by the time you are tested.
Even if you were not physically injured, you may need a full and complete medical exam. This type of medical exam is called a sexual assault forensic exam. It should be very thorough and might take several hours.
If you give permission for the doctors and nurses to do a sexual assault exam, that does not mean you are required to report the rape to the police. Giving your permission for the exam only means the doctors and nurses have your permission to collect DNA and other evidence from your body.
You might have heard of something called a rape kit. This is a container with several things in it that help a doctor, nurse, or examiner collect evidence of rape. These kits usually include a checklist. This helps to make sure all procedures are followed correctly. They may also include forms for collecting the facts and tubes and envelopes for physical evidence and DNA.
Collecting this evidence is important. If the rapist is caught and prosecuted, the evidence will be used in court. Even if the attacker is not identified or arrested, his DNA can be added to a national database. This can make it possible to connect the attacker to a future crime if he does it again.
The hospital or clinic will usually set up a follow-up appointment. This will help to make sure any injury continues to be treated and that you are getting any other care, such as counseling, that you might need.
Yes. The hospital or clinic can give you medicines that can help keep you from getting many sexually transmitted infections. This is called a prophylactic (proh-fuh-LAK-tik) treatment. It helps to keep you from getting an infection in case you have been exposed. Medicines should be given as soon as possible.
The hospital or clinic can also give you medicine, called post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), to help keep you from getting HIV. PEP should be given within 72 hours of the rape.
Most hospitals or clinics can give you emergency contraception pills to keep you from getting pregnant, or you can buy them over the counter at the drugstore. These pills are sometimes called morning-after pills. Emergency contraception is not the same thing as the abortion pill. Emergency contraception has the same hormones found in regular birth control pills. Emergency contraception prevents you from ovulating (releasing an egg from the ovary) or prevents sperm from fertilizing an egg. Emergency contraception works best when taken as soon as possible.4 Learn more about emergency contraception.
Get help (link is external) if you are raped and become pregnant.
Under the Violence Against Women Act (PDF, 410 KB), your medical exam after sexual assault should be free. Every state also has a crime victim compensation program. The National Association of Crime Victim Compensation Boards (link is external) provides links to every state’s program. These programs can help you with medical expenses, counseling, and lost pay from missing work.
You can get more information and counseling from the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN (link is external)) at 800-656-HOPE (4673).
If you decide to report a rape to the police, they may begin an investigation to collect evidence of the crime. The police will file an official report. Sometimes the police arrest the attacker if they believe the attacker is an immediate danger to you or anyone else in the community. If the evidence is strong enough, the lawyer for the state government, the prosecutor, will charge the attacker with a crime.
You will have to answer questions from the police and lawyers about the rape. You may be asked to testify in court if the attacker is charged with a crime.
Consider asking a friend, relative, or advocate to come with you to the police station. Having someone else present with you when you report the rape may help the situation feel less scary or overwhelming.
Many women are afraid to report a rape or sexual assault because they fear no one will believe them. And false rape charges are often talked about in the media. But researchers think that less than 10% of reported rapes are false.5
Just as it is impossible to know the exact number of rapes or sexual assaults, it is impossible to know the exact number of false accusations. Sexual assault is a serious crime, and charges must be taken seriously by everyone involved.
For more information about rape, call the OWH Helpline at 1-800-994-9662 or check out the following resources from other organizations:
Sexual assault on college campuses is a common problem that often goes unreported. It includes any unwanted sexual activity, from unwanted touching to rape. Alcohol and drugs often play a role in sexual assault on campuses. If you have been sexually assaulted, it is not your fault. You are not alone, and you can get help.
Sexual assault is common among female students of all ages, races, and ethnicities. One in five women in college experiences sexual assault.1
Studies show that students are at the highest risk of sexual assault in the first few months of their first and second semesters in college.2
Women who identify as lesbian, bisexual, or gay are more likely to experience sexual assault on college campuses than heterosexual women.1
Sexual assault happens everywhere and to women and men of all ages. But it is common on college campuses, and, among adults, sexual assault happens most often to traditionally college-age women (18–24). Colleges that get federal funding are required to publicly report sexual assault.
You cannot prevent sexual assault because violent or abusive behavior is always the responsibility of the person who is violent or abusive. However, you can take steps to be safer around others and help keep others safe from potential perpetrators:5,6,7
Find other tips for safety on campus at the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (link is external).
If you are sexually assaulted, it is not your fault, regardless of the circumstances. If you are in immediate danger, call 911. If you are in a safe place, you can call 911 to report the sexual assault to the police as soon as possible.
If the sexual assault happened on campus or the person who harmed you was a student, you can also report it to school authorities for additional support. The school is required (link is external) to help you continue your education. There are options to help you feel safe on campus, such as requesting to change class schedules, changing dorms, or obtaining a no-contact order. Schools that receive federal funding may provide other forms of support, such as counseling or tutoring, if you need it because of a sexual assault on campus.
Women who are sexually assaulted may face health problems that include depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. But they may also have trouble reporting the assault or getting help they are entitled to from the school. Women may also see the person who harmed them regularly in classes, dorms, or other places on campus, which can make it harder to recover from the assault.
One study found that among rape survivors who stayed on campus, nearly one in three had academic problems and more than one in five considered leaving school.1
If you’ve been sexually assaulted, know that you are not alone. Learn what you can do if you’ve been sexually assaulted. This includes going to school authorities and getting help. Your school is required to help you if you’ve been assaulted on campus.
The risk of rape may be up to five times higher during a semester studying abroad than on a college campus in the United States.9
When studying abroad, you can follow the same tips that can help you be safer at your home campus. These include being aware of your surroundings, always going out and staying with a group, either not drinking or limiting your drinking to a level at which you still feel in control, and watching your drink at all times.
Before you go, check out information about the country in which you will be living on the U.S. Department of State website Students Abroad. You can enroll in a program called the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to get safety information and connect with the U.S. embassy in the country where you will be studying.
Sexual Assault Support and Help for Americans Abroad (link is external) offers pre-travel information (link is external), tips for staying safe (link is external), and an international crisis line (link is external).
For more information about sexual assault on campus, call the OWH Helpline at 1-800-994-9662 or check out these resources from the following organizations:
Women experience violence in many ways, from physical abuse to sexual assault and from financial abuse to sexual harassment or trafficking. Whatever form it takes, violence against women can have serious long-term physical and emotional effects.
Dating violence is physical, sexual, emotional, or verbal abuse from a romantic or sexual partner. It happens to women of all races and ethnicities, incomes, and education levels. It also happens across all age groups and in heterosexual and same-sex relationships. Some people call dating violence domestic abuse, especially when you live with your partner.
Dating violence includes:
It can also include forcing you to get pregnant against your will, trying to influence what happens during your pregnancy, or interfering with your birth control.
Some signs of dating abuse include:1
None of the behavior described above is OK. Even if your partner does only a few of these things, it’s still abuse. It is never OK for someone to hit you or be cruel to you in any way.
Digital abuse is a type of abuse that uses technology, especially texting or social media. Digital abuse is more common among younger adults, but it can happen to anyone who uses technology, such as smartphones or computers.
Digital abuse can include:
In a healthy relationship, both partners respect relationship boundaries. You do not have to send any photos that make you uncomfortable. Once you send a revealing photo, you have no control over who sees it. The other person can forward it or show it to others.
Dating violence or abuse often starts with emotional and verbal abuse. The person may start calling you names, constantly checking on you, or demanding your time. This is your partner’s attempt to gain power and control over you.
These behaviors can lead to more serious kinds of abuse, such as hitting or stalking, or preventing you from using birth control or protection against sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Dating violence can happen even on the first date. If a date pays for the date, that does not mean you owe them sex. Any sexual activity that is without your consent is rape or sexual assault.
Staying in an abusive relationship can have long-lasting effects on your mental and physical health, including chronic pain and depression or anxiety. Read more about the effects on your health.
Abusive partners may also pressure you into having unprotected sex or prevent you from using birth control. Or you may think that getting pregnant will stop the abuse. Abuse can actually get worse during pregnancy. It’s a good idea to talk with your doctor about types of birth control you can use. If you are concerned about your partner knowing or becoming aware of your birth control use, talk to your doctor. If a male partner refuses to wear a condom, get tested for sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
For more information about dating violence or abuse, call the OWH Helpline at 1-800-994-9662 or check out the following resources from other organizations:
Elder abuse happens when a trusted caregiver or adult knowingly harms an older person (someone 60 and older).1 It includes many types of abuse, such as physical, sexual, emotional, verbal, and financial. Elder abuse can also mean knowingly neglecting an older person to the point that they are harmed, such as by withholding food or medical care. Elder abuse affects more women than men.2 You can help prevent or stop elder abuse of yourself or someone you love by knowing the signs to watch for.
Elder abuse can happen in the home, in a nursing home or assisted living facility, or in public. It can include any type of abuse, such as physical, sexual, emotional, verbal, and financial, against an older person. Elder abuse is more likely to happen when an older person is dependent on other people for daily activities of living, such as eating, bathing, using the toilet, dressing, or managing money.
Elder abuse also includes neglect and taking advantage of an older person.
Elder abuse can be very harmful to a woman’s health, especially if it continues after a single event. Researchers have found that any type of elder abuse can shorten a person’s life, regardless of any other health problems they might have.3 Studies show that if an older person also has dementia (serious problems with thinking and remembering), the risk of early death after abuse is even higher.4
Experts aren’t sure how common elder abuse is, because many victims of elder abuse may not report it or may not be aware of it. Studies suggest that elder abuse may affect one in 10 older adults.5 More women than men experience elder abuse, in part because women live longer.2
Emotional and verbal abuse and financial abuse are the most common types of elder abuse.2
Someone who abuses an older adult is more likely to have mental or physical health problems, financial problems, a history of substance abuse, or to be experiencing major stress.5
Elder abuse comes in many forms. Below are the types of elder abuse and signs to watch for.
Hitting, slapping, beating, pushing, shoving, kicking, pinching, and burning
Signs:
Verbal assaults, threats, intimidation, harassment, and isolating the person from regular activities, family, and friends
Signs:
Any sexual contact that is not agreed to, such as unwanted touching
Signs:
Knowingly not taking proper care of an older person, including physical care (food, clothing, shelter, medicine, personal hygiene) and financial care (not paying for living arrangements, care, and other bills)
Signs:
If you are an elderly or older person:
If you or someone you know has been the victim of elder abuse, seek help from family, friends, or community organizations. Talk to a doctor or other health care professional.
Many states have 24-hour toll-free numbers for confidential reports of abuse. The National Center on Elder Abuse can help you find services in your community.
Elder abuse may be more likely to happen if the older person has dementia or any other type of serious problem with thinking or remembering. Family members and friends of an older adult can help to prevent abuse by:
Many states have 24-hour toll-free numbers for confidential reports of abuse. The National Center on Elder Abuse can help you find services in your community.
Call 911 if the older person is in immediate danger.
If the older person can speak, ask about any signs of abuse you see such as bruises, unusual financial activity, or fear of caregivers. If possible, document any signs of abuse with photos, videos, or written statements. Contact the local police.
You can also report elder abuse to the local adult protective services agency, similar to child protective services. Each state has an adult protective services agency. Use this online map to find help in your area. (link is external) If the older person is in a facility like a nursing home, you can report abuse to an ombudsman, whose job is to resolve disputes.
For more information about elder abuse, call the OWH Helpline at 1-800-994-9662 or check out the following resources from other organizations:
You may not think you are being abused if you’re not being hurt physically. But emotional and verbal abuse can have short-term and long-lasting effects that are just as serious as the effects of physical abuse. Emotional and verbal abuse includes insults and attempts to scare, isolate, or control you. It is also often a sign that physical abuse may follow. Emotional and verbal abuse may also continue if physical abuse starts. If you have been abused, it is never your fault.
You may be experiencing emotional or verbal abuse if someone:
Emotional and verbal abuse may begin suddenly. Some abusers may start out behaving normally and then begin abuse after a relationship is established. Some abusers may purposefully give a lot of love and attention, including compliments and requests to see you often, in the beginning of a relationship. Often, the abuser tries to make the other person feel strongly bonded to them, as though it is the two of them “against the world.”
Over time, abusers begin to insult or threaten their victims and begin controlling different parts of their lives. When this change in behavior happens, it can leave victims feeling shocked and confused. You may feel embarrassed or foolish for getting into the relationship. If someone else abuses you, it’s never your fault.
Staying in an emotionally or verbally abusive relationship can have long-lasting effects on your physical and mental health, including leading to chronic pain, depression, or anxiety. Read more about the effects on your health.
You may also:
Your partner’s behavior may leave you feeling as though you need to do anything possible to restore peace and end the abuse. This can feel stressful and overwhelming.
Learn ways to cope and where to get help.
“Gaslighting” is the word used when an abuser makes you feel like you are losing your mind or memory.
An abuser might:1
Gaslighting is a form of emotional abuse that abusers use to maintain power and control. When a victim is questioning her memories or her mind, she may be more likely to feel dependent on the abuser and stay in the relationship.
Gaslighting happens over time, and you may not notice it at first. Learn how to get help if you feel gaslighting is happening in your relationship.
If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
If you aren’t in immediate danger, reach out to a trusted friend or family member, therapist, or volunteer with an abuse shelter or domestic violence hotline (link is external). Learn more about how to get help if you are in an emotionally or verbally abusive relationship.
For more information about emotional and verbal abuse, call the OWH Helpline at 1-800-994-9662 or check out the following resources from other organizations:
Financial abuse happens when an abuser takes control of finances to prevent the other person from leaving and to maintain power in a relationship. An abuser may take control of all the money, withhold it, and conceal financial information from the victim. Financial abuse happens often in physically abusive relationships. Financial abuse can also happen in elder abuse when a relative, friend, or caregiver steals money from an older person.
Financial abuse happens when an abuser has control over finances in a relationship and withholds money from the victim. Often, a woman does not leave an abusive relationship because she fears she will not be able to provide for herself or her children. Financial abuse can make the victim feel as if she can’t leave. This fear is often the main reason women don’t leave an abusive relationship.1
Financial abuse of older adults is also common. Read more about elder abuse.
Often, financial abuse is subtle and gradual, so it may be hard to recognize. Your partner may act as though taking over the finances is a way to make life easier for you, as if he or she is doing you a favor. Your partner might explain that giving you a set amount of money will help keep your family on track financially. But slowly, the “allowance” becomes smaller and smaller, and before you know it, you are asking for money and being refused.
Some of the common ways that financial abuse happens includes:
If the abuser has access to your credit cards, bank accounts, or Social Security number, they may try to open accounts in your name or deliberately try to ruin your credit in order to make it harder for you to leave the relationship. But you can take steps to protect yourself and your money, whether you stay in the relationship or leave.
When you are getting ready to leave an abusive relationship, money issues may seem overwhelming. But you can take steps to care for yourself and your children. Gather important documents for you and your children, such as birth certificates and Social Security cards. You might also try to get copies of health insurance cards and bank statements. These will increase your independence, and they will help with your case if you have divorce or child custody hearings.
In case the abuser has opened credit cards in your name or other types of illegal financial activity, you should get a copy of your credit report.
You may not have time to gather much information before you go. That’s OK. Collect what you can. The highest priority is getting out of the abusive relationship as safely as possible.
Learn more and see a safety packing list to help you prepare to leave an abusive relationship.
Make a plan to leave the abuser . Once you are away from that person, you can take steps to repair your credit and become financially independent.
For more information about financial abuse, call the OWH Helpline at 1-800-994-9662 or check out the following resources from other organizations:
Harassment is any unwelcome behavior or comments made by one person to another. Sexual harassment is a term usually used to describe unwanted sexual contact or behavior that happens more than once at work, home, or in school. It includes any unwelcome sexual advances or requests for sexual favors that affect a person’s job, schoolwork, or housing. Street harassment is behavior or comments that can be sexual but are not always and may target your sex, gender, age, religion, nationality, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.
Sexual harassment happens when someone in your workplace, home, or school makes unwelcome sexual advances to you or requests sexual favors. It also includes verbal or physical behaviors that may affect your job, home, or education. These acts are sexual harassment when they are without your consent, or are unwanted, and interfere with your work or school performance or create a hostile or offensive environment.
Sexual harassment violates most work, housing, or school policies and may be illegal. Sometimes sexual harassment is also sexual coercion. Coercion is when you are forced in a nonphysical way into sexual activity. Sexual harassers can be anyone — men or women — and can be managers, co-workers, landlords, teachers, or other students. Sexual harassment does not mean you are in a sexual relationship with the person doing it.
The exact number of people who are sexually harassed at work, home, or school is not known. This is because many people do not report sexual harassment.
Surveys show that more than half of women have experienced sexual harassment at work.1 However, only one in four who experienced harassment reported the behavior to a supervisor or human resources representative. Reasons for not reporting the behavior included fear that their supervisor wouldn’t believe them or wouldn’t help them. It also included fear of losing their job, especially if their supervisor was the person harassing them.1
Studies of sexual harassment in housing are not common,2 but one study shows that sexual coercion by someone in authority like a landlord is the most common type of sexual harassment experienced by women in rental housing.3 Recent studies also show that sex and gender minority women may have a harder time finding housing compared to other women.4
There are many different types of sexual harassment that happen at work, home, or school:5
Sometimes you may experience other types of harassment that may be difficult to document or prove but that can still be threatening. These can include someone staring at your body in a sexual way or making offensive sexual gestures or facial expressions.
As with all other types of abuse, if you are being sexually harassed, it is not your fault. You can take steps to alert others to the harassment and protect yourself from the person harassing you. Many types of sexual harassment are against the law. If you are being sexually harassed, try one or all of these actions:
Street harassment is unwanted comments, gestures, and actions forced on someone in a public place without that person’s consent. It may or may not also be sexual harassment. The harassment usually comes from strangers and is often directed at someone because of sex, gender, religion, nationality, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.
In a national survey, more than half of women reported experiencing street harassment.6 Women of color, lesbians, and bisexual women experienced street harassment more often than other women.6
You may have experienced street harassment if anyone has ever:
You may have only a few seconds to decide on the best way to react to someone harassing you or someone else. Because street harassment often happens between strangers in a public place, you may not have the same legal protection that you have for sexual harassment that takes place at work or school or in rental housing. But no one has the right to physically touch or hurt you. Physically hurting someone or touching someone else without their permission or consent is always illegal.
It’s probably safest to leave the situation as quickly as possible. If you cannot physically leave the situation right away, you have some other options:
If you see someone else being harassed, and feel safe doing so, try to help. You can support the person being harassed without talking to the person doing the harassing. Ask the person being harassed if they’re OK, or if you can help them move away from the situation. Offer to record the harassment with a smartphone.
For more information about harassment, call the OWH Helpline at 1-800-994-9662 or check out the following resources from other organizations:
Human trafficking is a form of slavery.1 It happens when a person is forced or tricked into working in dangerous and illegal conditions or having sexual contact with others against their will. A person who is trafficked may be drugged, locked up, beaten, starved, or made to work for many hours a day. Girls and women are the most common victims of sex trafficking, a type of human trafficking.
Traffickers control victims by:2
Types of work a trafficked person may be forced to do include prostitution or sex work, farm work, cleaning, child care, sweatshop work, and other types of labor.
Sometimes a woman may end up trafficked after being forced to marry someone against her will. In a forced marriage, a woman’s husband and his family have control over her. Not all people who are trafficked are taken across state lines or national borders.
Human trafficking victims can be from urban, suburban, or rural areas and can have varying levels of education. In the United States, most human trafficking victims come from within the country, or from Mexico and the Philippines.5
While human trafficking can happen to anyone, some people in the United States are at greater risk. These include:5
Recognizing the signs of human trafficking can be difficult. If a woman or girl shows several of these signs, she may be trafficked:6
Sex trafficking is a type of human trafficking. Sex trafficking is when a child or adult is forced to have sexual contact or engage in sexual activity in exchange for money or favors. In sex trafficking, someone forces or coerces a child or adult to participate in sexual activity in order to get money or other things of value from a person who pays for the sex acts.
Almost all victims of sex trafficking are women or girls.7
The physical and mental health effects of sexual trafficking are serious. Studies show that women who have been trafficked for sex have higher levels of fear, are more isolated, and have greater trauma and mental health needs than other victims of crime.8 Women and girls who have been trafficked may also misuse alcohol or drugs as a way to cope with their situation.3
Sex trafficking victims are at high risk for getting HIV, among many other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Sex trafficking victims may be forced into prostitution and may be sexually assaulted, including being forced to have unprotected sex with multiple partners, many of whom may also have had unprotected sex with many partners. This increases their risk of getting HIV.
Often, trafficking victims endure the riskiest types of sexual assault, such as violent vaginal and anal rape without a condom, which puts them at higher risk of getting HIV.
If you think you have come in contact with a victim of human trafficking, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center’s Hotline at 888-373-7888. You can also text HELP to BeFree (233733). Hotline staff can help you figure out whether you have seen a victim of human trafficking and can suggest local resources.
Anyone who is brought into the United States for forced labor may be able to get a special visa and other help rebuilding their lives. Learn more about help for trafficked immigrants.
For more information about human trafficking, call the OWH Helpline at 1-800-994-9662 or check out the following resources from other organizations:
Physical abuse is using physical force that injures you or puts you in danger. Physical abuse can happen in dating or married relationships, but it can also happen outside a relationship. No one — not a spouse, romantic partner, or family member — has the right to physically abuse you.
Physical abuse is any physical force that injures you or puts your health in danger. Physical abuse can include shaking, burning, choking, hair-pulling, hitting, slapping, kicking, and any type of harm with a weapon like a knife or a gun. It can also include threats to hurt you, your children, your pets, or family members. Physical abuse can also include restraining you against your will, by tying you up or locking you in a space. Physical abuse in an intimate partner (romantic or sexual) relationship is also called domestic violence.
Physical abuse is:
If you think you are in an abusive relationship, learn more about getting help. Talk to your doctor or nurse. If you’re in immediate danger or are physically hurt, call 911.
Physical abuse can have lasting effects on your physical and mental health. Physical abuse can cause many chronic (long-lasting) health problems, including heart problems, high blood pressure, and digestive problems.1 Women who are abused are also more likely to develop depression, anxiety, or eating disorders. Women who are abused may also misuse alcohol or drugs as a way to cope.
If you are thinking about leaving an abusive relationship, even if you don’t leave right away, creating a safety plan (link is external) can help you know what to do if your partner abuses you again. It can help you be more independent when you leave.
Your safety plan will help you be prepared:
For more information about physical abuse, call the OWH Helpline at 1-800-994-9662 or check out the following resources from other organizations:
Sexual coercion is unwanted sexual activity that happens when you are pressured, tricked, threatened, or forced in a nonphysical way. Coercion can make you think you owe sex to someone. It might be from someone who has power over you, like a teacher, landlord, or a boss. No person is ever required to have sex with someone else.
Sexual coercion is unwanted sexual activity that happens after being pressured in nonphysical ways that include:1
In a healthy relationship, you never have to have sexual contact when you don’t want to. Sexual contact without your consent is assault. Sexual coercion means feeling forced to have sexual contact with someone.
Anyone, including friends, co-workers, bosses, landlords, dates, partners, family members, and strangers, can use coercion. Sexual coercion is most likely to happen with someone you already have some type of relationship with. Sexual activity should always happen with your consent. If you are being pressured or coerced into sexual activity, that may be a type of sexual assault and it may be against the law.
Sexual coercion can be any type of nonphysical pressure used to make you participate in sexual activity that you do not agree to. See the chart below for ways someone might use sexual coercion:
|
Ways someone might use sexual coercion |
What he or she may say |
|---|---|
|
Wearing you down by asking for sex again and again or making you feel bad, guilty, or obligated |
|
|
Making you feel like it’s too late to say no |
|
|
Telling you that not having sex will hurt your relationship |
|
|
Lying or threatening to spread rumors about you |
|
|
Making promises to reward you for sex |
|
|
Threatening your children or other family members |
|
|
Threatening your job, home, or school career |
|
|
Threatening to reveal your sexual orientation publicly or to family or friends |
|
Sexual coercion is not your fault. If you are feeling pressured to do something you don’t want to do, speak up or leave the situation. It is better to risk a relationship ending or hurting someone’s feelings than to do something you aren’t willing to do.
If the person trying to coerce you is in a position of power over you (such as a boss, landlord, or teacher), it’s best to leave the situation as quickly and safely as possible. It might be difficult, but if you can report the person to someone in authority, you are taking steps to stop it from happening again. Some possible verbal responses include:
Be clear and direct with the person trying to coerce you. Tell the person how you feel and what you do not want to do. If the person is not listening to you, leave the situation. If you or your family is in physical danger, try to get away from the person as quickly as possible. Call 911 if you are in immediate danger.
Sexual coercion can be a type of sexual violence. If you are in immediate danger, call 911. If you are in a safe place, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline (link is external) at 800-656-HOPE (4673) or chat online with a trained hotline worker on the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline (link is external) at any time to get help.
Some sexual coercion is against the law or violates school, rental, or workplace policies. Sexual coercion from someone at school, work, or a rental company or loan office is usually called sexual harassment. If you are younger than 18, tell a trusted adult about what happened. If you are an adult, consider talking to someone about getting help and reporting the person to the local authorities. You could talk to a counselor, the human resources department, or the local police.
You can also file a sexual harassment complaint with a federal agency. For workplace sexual harassment complaints, contact the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). For school sexual harassment complaints, contact the U.S. Department of Education. For housing sexual harassment complaints, contact the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development or the U.S. Department of Justice at 1-844-380-6178 or fairhousing@usdoj.gov.
For more information about sexual coercion, call the OWH Helpline at 1-800-994-9662 or check out the following resources from other organizations:
Stalking is repeated contact that makes you feel afraid or harassed. Someone may stalk you by following you or calling you often. Stalkers may also use technology to stalk you by sending unwanted emails or social media messages. About one in six women has experienced stalking in her lifetime.1 Women are twice as likely to be stalked as men are.2 Stalking is a crime.
Stalking is any repeated and unwanted contact with you that makes you feel unsafe.3 You can be stalked by a stranger, but most stalkers are people you know — even an intimate partner. Stalking may get worse or become violent over time. Stalking may also be a sign of an abusive relationship.
Someone who is stalking you may threaten your safety by clearly saying they want to harm you. Some stalkers harass you with less threatening but still unwanted contact. The use of technology to stalk, sometimes called “cyberstalking,” involves using the Internet, email, or other electronic communications to stalk someone. Stalking is against the law.
Stalking and cyberstalking can lead to sleeping problems or problems at work or school.
Examples of stalking may include:3
Examples of cyberstalking include:
Yes. Stalking is a crime. Learn more about the laws against stalking in your state at the Stalking Resource Center (link is external). If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
You can file a complaint with the police and get a restraining order (court order of protection) against the stalker. Federal law says that you can get a restraining order for free. Do not be afraid to take steps to stop your stalker.
If you are in immediate danger, call 911. Find a safe place to go if you are being followed or worry that you will be followed. Go to a police station, friend’s house, domestic violence shelter, fire station, or public area.
You can also take the following steps if you are being stalked:
For more information or emotional support, call the Stalking Resource Center National Center for Victims of Crime Helpline (link is external) at 800-FYI-CALL (394-2255), Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.
If you are being cyberstalked:
For more information about stalking, call the OWH Helpline at 1-800-994-9662 or check out the following resources from other organizations:
Female immigrants or refugees face many of the same challenges as other abused women. However, they may also face some unique challenges, such as a fear of being deported or of losing custody of their children. Physical, sexual, emotional, or other type of abuse is never OK, even if it happens within a marriage. Violence against women is also against the law, even when the abuser or victim is not a U.S. citizen.
Immigrant and refugee women may not report violence or abuse because they may be:
Although immigrant and refugee women may face such challenges, they also often have strong family ties and other sources of support. If you think you are being abused, reach out to someone who cares about you.
You can report a crime regardless of your immigration status. Violence is against the law. If you have been abused, you do not have to respond to questions about your immigration status. If the police officers do not speak your language, ask the police to provide a translator or find someone who can translate for you.
You can also call the free National Domestic Violence Hotline (link is external), 800-799-SAFE (7233), for help and resources in your area.
You cannot be deported if you are a U.S. citizen or a legal resident or have a valid visa. The only exceptions to this are if you used fake documents to enter the country, broke the rules of your visa, or committed certain crimes.
If you are undocumented (don’t have legal papers to be in the United States) or are not sure about your immigration status, you should talk to an immigration lawyer. Your local domestic violence shelter can help you find an immigration lawyer. You may be able to get a lawyer at no charge. (link is external)
You may also be able to:1
Yes. You can get a restraining order (or court order of protection) even if you are not a citizen or legal permanent resident of the United States. A restraining order can prevent your partner from contacting or touching you. You can get an application for a restraining order at a courthouse, women’s shelter, or police station. Getting a restraining order is free.
If you are worried about the safety of yourself and your children, you can:
If you have a protection order or custody order, give a copy to your children’s school. Ask the school not to release the children to the abuser or anyone else not legally allowed access to your children.
In some countries outside of the United States, female genital cutting (FGC) is done to girls or women for cultural or traditional reasons. FGC means piercing, cutting, removing, or sewing closed all or part of a girl’s or woman’s external genitals for no medical reason. As a type of violence against women, FGC is illegal in the United States and in many other countries. FGC has no health benefits and can cause long-term health problems.
In the United States, estimates suggest that more than 513,000 girls and women have experienced FGC or are at risk of FGC.2
Learn more about female genital cutting in our Female genital cutting page.
For more information about violence against immigrant and refugee women, call the OWH Helpline at 1-800-994-9662 or check out the following resources from other organizations:
Research suggests that women with disabilities are more likely to experience domestic violence, emotional abuse, and sexual assault than women without disabilities.1 Women with disabilities may also feel more isolated and feel they are unable to report the abuse, or they may be dependent on the abuser for their care. Like many women who are abused, women with disabilities are usually abused by someone they know, such as a partner or family member.
Relatives must be strong advocates for their loved ones with disabilities. If you have a relative with a disability, learn the signs of abuse, especially if your relative has trouble communicating.
Report abuse to adult protective services if you notice any of the following with a loved one who has a disability:
Each state has an adult protective services agency. Use this online map to find help in your area. (link is external)
Most often, violence or abuse against women with disabilities is by their spouses or partners. But women with disabilities can also face abuse from caregivers or personal assistants.4 Women with disabilities who need help with daily activities like bathing, dressing, or eating may be more at risk of abuse because they are physically or mentally more vulnerable and can have many different caregivers in their life.5
Report any suspected abuse to adult protective services. Each state has an adult protective services agency. Use this online map to find help in your area. (link is external)
For more information about violence against women with disabilities, call the OWH Helpline at 1-800-994-9662 or check out the following resources from other organizations:
Violence against women can cause long-term physical and mental health problems. Violence and abuse affect not just the women involved but also their children, families, and communities. These effects include harm to an individual’s health, possibly long-term harm to children, and harm to communities such as lost work and homelessness.
The short-term physical effects of violence can include minor injuries or serious conditions. They can include bruises, cuts, broken bones, or injuries to organs and other parts inside of your body. Some physical injuries are difficult or impossible to see without scans, x-rays, or other tests done by a doctor or nurse.
Short-term physical effects of sexual violence can include:
If you are pregnant, a physical injury can hurt you and the unborn child. This is also true in some cases of sexual assault.
If you are sexually assaulted by the person you live with, and you have children in the home, think about your children’s safety also. Violence in the home often includes child abuse.1 Many children who witness violence in the home are also victims of physical abuse.2 Learn more about the effects of domestic violence on children.
If you are injured in a physical or sexual assault, call 911.
Violence against women, including sexual or physical violence, is linked to many long-term health problems. These can include:3
Many women also have mental health problems after violence. To cope with the effects of the violence, some women start misusing alcohol or drugs or engage in risky behaviors, such as having unprotected sex. Sexual violence can also affect someone’s perception of their own bodies, leading to unhealthy eating patterns or eating disorders. If you are experiencing these problems, know that you are not alone. There are resources that can help you cope with these challenges.
A serious risk of physical abuse is concussion and traumatic brain injury (TBI) from being hit on the head or falling and hitting your head. TBI can cause:4
Some symptoms of TBI may take a few days to show up. Over a longer time, TBI can cause depression and anxiety. TBI can also cause problems with your thoughts, including the ability to make a plan and carry it out. This can make it more difficult for a woman in an abusive relationship to leave. Even if you think you are OK after hitting your head, talk to you doctor or nurse if you have any of these symptoms. Treatment for TBI can help.
If you have experienced a physical or sexual assault, you may feel many emotions — fear, confusion, anger, or even being numb and not feeling much of anything. You may feel guilt or shame over being assaulted. Some people try to minimize the abuse or hide it by covering bruises and making excuses for the abuser.
If you’ve been physically or sexually assaulted or abused, know that it is not your fault. Getting help for assault or abuse can help prevent long-term mental health effects and other health problems.
Long-term mental health effects of violence against women can include:5
Other effects can include shutting people out, not wanting to do things you once enjoyed, not being able to trust others, and having low-esteem.1
Many women who have experienced violence cope with this trauma by using drugs, drinking alcohol, smoking, or overeating. Research shows that about 90% of women with substance use problems had experienced physical or sexual violence.7
Substance use may make you feel better in the moment, but it ends up making you feel worse in the long-term. Drugs, alcohol, tobacco, or overeating will not help you forget or overcome the experience. Get help if you’re thinking about or have been using alcohol or drugs to cope.
After you get help for physical injuries, a mental health professional can help you cope with emotional concerns. A counselor or therapist can work with you to deal with your emotions in healthy ways, build your self-esteem, and help you develop coping skills. You can ask your doctor for the name of a therapist, or you can search an online list of mental health services. Learn more about getting help for your mental health.
Victims of sexual assault can also talk for free with someone who is trained to help through the National Sexual Assault Hotline over the phone at 800-656-HOPE (4673) or online (link is external).
Violence against women has physical and mental health effects, but it can also affect the lives of women who are abused in other ways:
Sometimes, violence against women ends in death. More than half of women who are murdered each year are killed by an intimate partner.10 One in 10 of these women experienced violence in the month before their death. If you have experienced abuse, contact a hotline (link is external) at 800-799-SAFE (800-799-7233), or learn more ways to get help.
For more information about the effects of violence against women, call the OWH Helpline at 1-800-994-9662 or check out the following resources from other organizations:
The resources on this page are free and confidential. Find support, guidance, and help if you have been abused in any way.
Find resources and programs in your state that provide support for women who have experienced abuse.
If you do not find your state on this list, please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline (link is external) to find a program in your area. You can call the hotline at 800-799-SAFE (7233).
The District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands are included in the list. Click on any state name to jump to its organizations. Click any organization name for program and contact information.
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Any type of violence is illegal. Laws about violence against women give additional support to women and families affected by violence. The most significant laws related to violence against women are the Violence Against Women Act and the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA). Learn more about your protection under each of these laws.
The main federal law against violence against women is the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (PDF, 410 KB). Domestic violence and abuse are already against the law. This law provides services and support for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
The direct services provided for individual women by this law include:1
The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) helps victims of domestic violence and their children by providing shelters and resources.
Under the FVPSA, the Administration for Children and Families, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, funds national, state, and community programs, such as state domestic violence coalitions and the Domestic Violence Resource Network. The Domestic Violence Resource Network includes national resource centers on domestic violence and the National Domestic Violence Hotline (link is external) (800-799-7233).
Each community has slightly different laws about violence. But no one ever has the right to hurt you physically. In all communities, you should call 911 if you are in immediate danger. Violence is a criminal act. You must contact the local police to report violence and be protected by the law.
Some communities have outdated or limited local laws about sexual assault. The legal definition of rape in your local community may be slightly different than what you expect. The U.S. Department of Justice (a federal agency) defines rape as “the penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.”2 The federal government uses this legal definition to collect information about rape from local police.
Even though local laws can be slightly different from community to community, do not be afraid to report violence to the police. The police will file a report, which is the start of a legal process to get help and protection under the law.
For more information about laws against violence against women, call the OWH Helpline at 1-800-994-9662 or check out the following resources from other organizations:
Whether you suspect that a friend or family member is being abused or you witnessed someone being abused, you can take steps to help.
According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, some warning signs include the following:1
If you think your friend or family member is being abused, be supportive by listening to them and asking questions about how they’re doing. The person being abused may not be ready or able to leave the relationship right now.
Knowing or thinking that someone you care about is in a violent relationship can be very hard. You may fear for her safety — and maybe for good reason. You may want to rescue her or insist she leave, but every adult must make her own decisions.
Each situation is different, and the people involved are all different too. Here are some ways to help a loved one who is being abused:
If you see or hear domestic violence or child abuse in your neighborhood or in a public place, call 911. Don’t worry about whether the couple or person will be angry with you for calling. It could be a matter of life and death, and it’s better to be safe than sorry. You don’t have to give your name if you are afraid for your own safety.
If you want to report abuse but there is no immediate danger, ask local police or child/adult protective services to make a welfare check. This surprise check-in by local authorities may help the person being abused.
For more information about helping someone who is being abused, call the OWH Helpline at 1-800-994-9662 or check out the following resources from other organizations:
Every woman has the right to live her life safely and free of violence. A life without violence is essential to women’s health. You can take steps to protect women and to help promote a culture that does not allow or accept violence against women.
Ending violence against women and girls is an effort that includes everyone in our society. Violence is a violation of a basic human right for safety. Violence against women has been happening for a long time, but we can work together to prevent it in the future.
Violence against women can be prevented by strengthening women’s access to basic human rights and resources. Research shows that communities with more access to education, jobs, housing, health care, affordable child care and elder care, and equality for both men and women have lower rates of violence against women.1
In addition to challenges in ending all violence against women, ending sexual violence against women requires more gender equality in all parts of society. Part of being human is our sexuality. Sex and gender influence many different parts of a person’s life. Sexual violence against women can happen when a woman’s value in society is seen only through her sexuality. When women are not seen as equals to men, they are more likely to be victimized through their sexuality.
Women who have experienced sexual assault are often blamed for the assault. Blaming a woman for another person’s choice to assault her is wrong. Many women who report sexual assault are asked questions about what they were wearing, whether they were drinking or using drugs, or where they were during the assault. These questions imply that the sexual assault was the victim’s fault. Sexual assault is always the responsibility of the person who committed the assault. It is never the victim’s fault.
In order to end sexual violence against women, we must agree as a society that sexual contact between people cannot happen unless there is clear consent.
Violence against women hurts the whole community. Learn ways you can work to help end violence against women in your community.
Here are some suggestions:
Learn more about national programs to end sexual violence in communities.
For more information about ending violence against women, call the OWH Helpline at 1-800-994-9662 or check out the following resources from other organizations:
Learn more about relationships and safety from the
Office on Women's Health and other websites.
Source: Office on Women's Health, OWH, HHS.
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