1. Domestic Violence Awareness: Sexual Violence in relationships
Counseling Center
Purdue University Calumet
Gyte 5
(219)
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month
2013

2. Sexual violence in adults
Sexual Violence Statistics:
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013),
Nearly 1 in 5 women (18.3%) reported experiencing forced sex at some time in their lives..
I in 71 (2.1%) of men reported experiencing forced sex at some time in their lives.
I in 20 women (5.6%) and men (5.3%) surveyed said they experienced unwanted sexual activity in the previous 12 months (Basile et al., 2007).
In college age adults, 20-25% of women in college reported experiencing an attempted or completed rape (Fisher, Cullen, & Turner, 2000).

3. Domestic Violence Deaths
According to the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV, 2012), between July 2011 and June 2012 a total of 62 domestic violence deaths occurred in Indiana.
Five deaths occurred in Lake County
Three deaths occurred in Porter County
A total of 10,928 domestic violence victims were served in emergency shelters
6,186 victims were women
18 victims were men
4,724 victims were children

4. Intimate partner violence (IPV)
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is defined as violence between two people who are in a close relationship. Four types of behavior occur in IPV: physical violence, sexual violence, threats, and emotional abuse.
Physical violence occurs when one partner hurts, or attempts to hurt, the other partner through physical force (e.g. hitting or kicking).
Sexual violence occurs when one partner forces the other partner to engage in any form of sexual activity without consent.
Threats which may include the use of words, gestures, weapons, or other means to communicate the intent to cause harm to another person.
Emotional abuse which occurs when one partner threatens the other partner (or the partner’s possessions or loved ones), or harms the partner’s sense of self-worth. Examples of emotional abuse include stalking, name-calling, intimidation, or refusing to let the partner see friends and family (CDC, 2011).

5. Consequences of domestic violence
Sexual and domestic violence affects many aspects of the victim’s overall heath (physically, emotionally, and psychologically).
Victims of sexual violence may experience the following:
Physical injuries. Some injuries may be minor such as cuts, scratches, and bruises. Serious injuries may include broken bones, internal bleeding, and head trauma.
Emotional trauma. Depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD) may be experienced by those who are victims of IPV (Campbell, 2002).
Behavioral changes. Victims may also begin to engage in negative health behaviors after they have been victimized, such as high-risk sexual behaviors, unhealthy eating/dieting and substance abuse.

6. How do I know if I am a victim of partner abuse?
Does your partner:
Embarrass you with put-downs?
Look at you or act in ways that scare you?
Control what you do, who you see or talk to or where you go?
Stop you from seeing your friends or family members?
Take your money or Social Security check, make you ask for money or refuse to give you money?
Make all of the decisions?
Tell you that you’re a bad parent or threaten to take away or hurt your children?
Prevent you from working or attending school?
Act like the abuse is no big deal, it’s your fault, or even deny doing it?
Destroy your property or threaten to kill your pets?
Intimidate you with guns, knives or other weapons?
Shove you, slap you, choke you, or hit you?
Force you to try and drop charges?
Threaten to commit suicide?
Threaten to kill you?- National Domestic Violence Hotline (
If you answered “yes” to one or more of the following questions, you may be in an abusive relationship.

7. Protecting the victim’s safety in a violent relationship
If you are the victim:
Understand that an abusive partner may try to keep track of your activities, as well as your interactions with others (e.g. friends, family, co-workers) you commonly have contact with. As a consequence, the abusive partner may try to isolate you from these contacts. Use an internet source that is not located at home (e.g. a public library), since online browsing histories are difficult to completely erase.
If you have children who may have witnessed the domestic abuse, let them know that abuse is not an acceptable behavior.
Abuse will usually not get better in time (White & Zorza, 2010).
Develop a SAFETY PLAN. A safety plan is a way for victims of domestic abuse to preserve their safety while in an abusive relationship. This will help victims learn how to cope in the abusive relationship while they are developing a plan to leave the relationship.

8. Safety plan resources
The National Domestic Violence Hotline offers safety planning guidelines for victims of domestic abuse.
Valuable safety planning resources can be accessed by visiting Click on “Get Help Today.”
From the American Bar Association:
Guidelines for keeping you and your family safe:
From the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Guidelines for increasing your safety:
From the Domestic Violence Report:
Safety Plan for a Friend:
Be sure to use a secure internet source that is not monitored when visiting these websites.

9. Protecting the victim’s safety in a violent relationship (con’t)
If you are the victim’s confidante (trusted person):
Do not put judgment on the victim
Do not criticize the victim for being involved in a relationship with the abuser.
Tell the victim that you are there for him/her and you will not tell others about the abusive relationship without their consent.
Make sure he/she understands that being abused is never the victim’s fault.
Encourage the victim to seek medical attention.
Encourage the victim to seek legal counsel (White & Zorza, 2010).

10. National resources for victims
The National Sexual Assault Hotline will connect the caller with a crisis counselor. Services are free and will remain confidential and anonymous unless the caller chooses otherwise.
This hotline can be accessed through phone at HOPE, or online through
Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network (RAINN) crisis center locator
You can find a local crisis center by visiting
The National Domestic Violence Hotline provides crisis intervention, safety information, and referral sources to both domestic violence victims and those who are calling to help a victim of domestic violence.
You may contact the hotline by calling , or online at
The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Visit to find resources and information about domestic violence.

11. Local resources for victims
The Caring Place, Inc. (Valparaiso, Indiana) Administrative: (219) Local crisis line: (219) Toll-free long distance: St. Jude House (Crown Point, Indiana) 24 hour crisis line: Haven House, Inc. (Hammond, Indiana) 24 hour crisis line: (219) Visit for an extensive list of domestic violence shelters in INDIANA. Visit for resources available for domestic violence victims in ILLINOIS.

12. Purdue University Calumet Counseling Center
The Purdue University Calumet Counseling Center offers confidential and private counseling services to currently enrolled students. We also provide resources and referrals to those who are not students. Please contact us at (219) if you questions or concerns. For more information about our services, you may also visit our website at:

13. Circle of 6
Circle of 6 is a free application designed to assist you in connecting with your friends to help prevent violence before it occurs. For more information, visit

14. References
Basile, K.C., Chen, J. Lynberg, M.C. & Saltzman, L.E. (2007). Prevalence and characteristics of sexual violence victimization. Violence and Victims, 22(4), Campbell, J. C. (2002). Health consequences of intimate partner violence. The Lancet, 359, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2010, October 28). Intimate partner violence: Consequences. Retrieved October 3, 2011 from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2008). Sexual violence: Facts at a glance. Retrieved September 16, 2011 from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). Understanding Intimate Partner Violence: Fact Sheet. Retrieved August 22, 2011 from

15. References Cont.
Fisher BS, Cullen FT, Turner MG The sexual victimization of college women. Washington: Department of Justice (US), National Institute of Justice; Publication No. NCJ
Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence. (2012) Domestic Violence Deaths. Retrieved from
National Domestic Violence Hotline. (2011). Am I being abused? Retrieved from
White, R. & Zorza, J. (2010). Safety plan for a friend, relative, or co-worker who is being abused by an intimate partner. Domestic Violence Report. Retrieved from