Archive for 'Domestic Violence'

Domestic Violence — It’s Everybody’s Business!

Domestic Violence. It’s in the papers every single day. There is a beating or a rape or a murder, and the person committing the crime and the victim of the crime know each other. They are husband and wife, or boyfriend and girlfriend, or maybe they have a child together.

And that’s what makes this so hard to grasp for most of us. We do not expect the person we care about, the person we are married to or have a child with, to be abusive to us. We do not expect that person to yell at …

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Stalking – Be Wise, Don’t Minimize!

Recently there have been a number of sad and disturbing stories in the news about stalking crimes, including murder of stalking victims.  And recently I’ve had a number of clients who have definitely been victims of stalking behaviors by their “former” significant other.

As a bystander, I was able to see the red flags all over the place, and once I pointed out the classic stalking behavior to my client, you could almost see a shiver go through them. It is very scary to be on the other end of a stalker’s attention.

What exactly is stalking then?  The definition goes something …

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It’s All About Power and Control

Domestic Violence.  What is it?  Well, there’s more to it than hitting, or fighting, or cussing or being mean.  It’s more than all of these.  It’s a chronic use and abuse of power.  The abuser does whatever it takes – threats, intimidation, and physical violence – to get and maintain control of his or her partner.

Most people think “domestic violence” is something that happens to other

people, or on TV shows, but not to them or to people they know.  I have had many clients who have come to see me for a consultation and had no idea that the way …

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