1. Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Educator Training
Mandatory Training
August 2009

2. Definition
  Domestic violence, sexual assault and emotional abuse are behaviors used by one person in a relationship to control the other.
Partners may be married or not married; heterosexual, gay, or lesbian; living together, separated or dating.

3. Examples of abuse name-calling or putdowns
keeping a partner from contacting their family or friends
withholding money
stopping a partner from getting or keeping a job
actual or threatened physical harm
sexual assault
stalking
intimidation

4. Domestic violence only happens to poor women and women of color
Domestic violence happens in all kinds of families and relationships. Persons of any class, culture, religion, sexual orientation, marital status, age, and sex can be victims or perpetrators of domestic violence

5. Some people deserve to be hit
No one deserves to be abused. Period. The only person responsible for the abuse is the abuser.
Physical violence, even among family members, is wrong and against the law.

6. Alcohol, drug abuse, stress, and mental illness cause domestic violence
Alcohol use, drug use, and stress do not cause domestic violence; they may go along with domestic violence, but they do not cause the violence. Abusers often say they use these excuses for their violence
Generally, domestic violence happens when an abuser has learned and chooses to abuse
Domestic violence is rarely caused by mental illness, but it is often used as an excuse for domestic violence

7. Domestic violence is a personal problem between a husband and a wife
Domestic violence affects everyone.
About 1 in 3 American women have been physically or sexually abused by a husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives. (Commonwealth Fund, Health Concerns Across a Woman's Lifespan: the Commonwealth Fund 1998 Survey of Women's Health, 1999)
In 1996, 30% of all female murder victims were killed by their husbands or boyfriends. (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 1997)
40% to 60% of men who abuse women also abuse children. (American Psychological Association, Violence and the Family, 1996)

8. If it were that bad, s/he would just leave
There are many reasons why the victim may not leave. Not leaving does not mean that the situation is okay or that the victim want to be abused.
Leaving can be dangerous. The most dangerous time for a victim who is being abused is when s/he tries to leave. (United States Department of Justice, National Crime Victim Survey, 1995)

9. nature, extent, and causes of domestic violence
ANYONE CAN BE A VICTIM!
Victims can be of any age, sex, race, culture, religion, education, employment or marital status. Although both men and women can be abused, most victims are women. Children in homes where there is domestic violence are more likely to be abused and/or neglected.
Most children in these homes know about the violence. Even if a child is not physically harmed, they may have emotional and behavior problems.

10. If you are a lesbian, gay, or transgendered person ...
You may be afraid of having people know about your sexual orientation.
If you are physically or mentally challenged or elderly ...
You may depend on your abuser to care for you. You may not have other people to help you.
If you are a male victim of abuse ...
You may be ashamed and scared that no one will believe you
If you are from another country ...
You may be afraid of being deported.
If your religion makes it hard to get help ...
You may feel like you have to stay and not break up the family

11. If you are a teen ...
You could be a victim of abuse, or at risk if you are dating someone who:
is very jealous and/or spies on you
will not let you break off the relationship
hurts you in any way, is violent, or brags about hurting other people
puts you down or makes you feel bad
forces you to have sex or makes you afraid to say no to sex
abuses drugs or alcohol; pressures you to use drugs or alcohol
has a history of bad relationships and blames it on others

12. Who Are The Abusers? Abuse is not an accident
Abusers are not easy to spot. There is no 'typical' abuser. In public, they may appear friendly and loving to their partner and family. They often only abuse behind closed doors. They also try to hide the abuse by causing injuries that can be hidden and do not need a doctor.
Abuse is not an accident
Abuse is an intentional act
Abusers have learned to abuse so that they can get what they want
Abusers often have low self-esteem
They do not take responsibility for their actions
They may even blame the victim for causing the violence

13. procedures designed to promote the safety of the victim and other household members
Mandatory Reporting
Trainings and in-services
Referrals to local support groups & community agencies

14. Cycle of Violence Incident
Any type of abuse occurs (physical/sexual/emotional)
Tension Building
Abuser starts to get angry
Abuse may begin
There is a breakdown of communication
Victim feels the need to keep the abuser calm
Tension becomes too much
Victim feels like they are 'walking on egg shells'

15. Making-Up
Abuser may apologize for abuse
Abuser may promise it will never happen again
Abuser may blame the victim for causing the abuse
Abuser may deny abuse took place or say it was not as bad as the victim claims
Calm
Abuser acts like the abuse never happened
Physical abuse may not be taking place
Promises made during 'making-up' may be met
Victim may hope that the abuse is over
Abuser may give gifts to victim

16. resources available to victims and perpetrators of domestic violence
Sitkans Against Family Violence (SAFV) Vicki D’Amico, Executive Director P. O. Box 6136 Sitka, AK Phone: ; Fax:

17. CDVSA Mission The Council provides safety for Alaskans impacted or victimized by domestic violence and sexual assault through a system of statewide crisis intervention, perpetrator accountability and prevention services.

18. Statutory Purpose of the Council
Alaska Statute “There is established in the Department of Public Safety the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. The purpose of the council is to provide for planning and coordination of services to victims of domestic violence or sexual assault or to their families and to perpetrators of domestic violence and sexual assault, and to provide for crisis intervention and prevention programs.”

19. Domestic violence is not a problem in my community
COMMON MYTHS
Domestic violence is not a problem in my community

20. lethality of domestic violence
For nearly 30 years Alaska has ranked among the top five states in the nation for forcible rape; the Alaska average was 2.6 times the national average; Anchorage was 2.8 times and Fairbanks 5.1 times the national average. Uniform Crime report,

21. In a survey of Alaska Native women in the Cooper River Delta, 64% reported physical assault by an intimate partner (versus 22% nationally). Magen and Wood, 2006

22. Of the 13 homicides in 2008, 69% had a relationship to domestic and/or sexual violence Alaska State Troopers, 2008 Bureau of Justice statistics show that Alaska led the nation in the rate of men murdering women in 2002, 2003 and 2004; Alaska fell to 2nd place in 2005 and 15th in 2006, an improvement but still over the national average

23. According to a 2006 survey by the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, 75% of Alaskans have experienced or know someone who has experienced domestic violence or sexual assault 23% of Alaskans reported having had an intimate partner who hit, slap, punch, kick, choke, hurt or threatened them Alaska Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System

24. boyfriend or girlfriend during the past 12 months.
9% of students in grades 9-12 report having been physically forced to have sexual intercourse when they did not want to
12% of the students said they had been hit, slapped, or physically hurt on purpose by their
boyfriend or girlfriend during the past 12 months.
2007 Alaska Youth Risk Behavior Study
20% of Alaska adults surveyed reported that as a child, they witnessed domestic violence against a parent or guardian.
2006 Alaska Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System

25. Works Cited http://www.domesticviolence.org/personalized-safety-plan/