Domestic abuse is a serious issue that is much more widespread than most people realize. Everyone deserves to be in safe relationships. Our apartment rental company is sharing information about domestic violence, including what it is and who it affects, as well as how you can get the help you need to leave an abusive situation. We are located in Minneapolis, MN, and some of the following information is specific to this location, however, there is help available to you in most communities, including your medical providers or the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
What Is Domestic Violence?
When we think of domestic violence, we often think of physical violence and injury, but it’s actually much broader and includes any behavior used to control or gain power over someone in a domestic relationship. Often this is a spouse or romantic partner, but it can also be a family member, such as a parent, sibling, or child.
Abuse comes in all forms, including:
- Physical – Hitting, shoving, grabbing, and preventing someone from leaving;
- Sexual – Rape, manipulation or coercion, damaging or destroying birth control; taking or distributing images without consent
- Verbal – Name calling, yelling, getting in someone’s face, threats and intimidation;
- Emotional – Lying, blaming the victim, jealousy, destroying property or possessions;
- Economic – Stealing, preventing an individual from getting a job, not providing adequate money for household needs;
In most cases, domestic violence starts with a behavior seen as “minor,” but escalates in frequency and severity over time without intervention.
Who Experiences Domestic Violence?
The majority of victims are women. In the United States, over one-third of women experience intimate partner violence in their lifetime (Breiding, 2015). A study performed by the Minnesota Department of Health in 2018 found that women account for 83 percent of domestic violence-related emergency room visits and of those, 63 percent were between the ages of 20 and 39.
However, it’s important to realize that anyone can experience domestic violence, regardless of income level, ethnicity, religion, age, or gender. Over 65,000 Minnesotans reach out for domestic violence services each year, and the same study from the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women (now Violence Free Minnesota) found that less than 50 percent of people who experienced domestic violence reached out for help (Citation, 2018).
Leaving an Abusive Relationship or Setting
If you feel unable to leave a violent or abusive relationship, you’re not alone. Many victims of violence report a variety of obstacles in their way, from threats of additional violence to lack of access to funds to family pressure (Buel, 1999). Often, a victim will leave and go back to a situation due to those same obstacles.
However, it’s important for you to know that the abuse is not your fault. You are not to blame and you are not the cause of the abusive behavior. You deserve to be safe.
To help you get started, we’ve listed some resources to help you. They provide shelter, legal resources, and are willing to listen and help where they can.
Local Resources for Victims of Domestic Violence
If you or a loved one is in an abusive relationship, feels threatened, or doesn’t feel safe at home due to abuse, you’re not alone. Help is available.
- Day One: Call 866-223-1111 or Text 612-399-9995
- Advocates are available 24/7 to provide free, confidential help, connect you to a shelter, and provide referral and resource information across Minnesota.
- Cornerstone: Call 952-884-0376
- Cornerstone provides legal advocacy, crisis support, and shelter 24/7 for individuals escaping domestic or sexual violence. Cornerstone offers comprehensive services in an inclusive environment with all services available to the LGBTQIA+ and non-binary community in the Twin Cities area.
- Tubman: Call 612-825-000 for 24-hour crisis and resource assistance
- Tubman provides safe shelter, legal advocacy, counseling, and more to people struggling with relationship violence and other trauma in the Twin Cities. They are the largest provider of domestic violence services in Minnesota.
- Aurora Center: Call 612-626-9111 or Text 612-615-8911
- The Aurora Center for Advocacy and Education serves students, staff, and faculty of the University of Minnesota. They provide referral services and legal advocacy for issues related to sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking.
- Casa De Esperanza: Call 615-772-1611 (Bilingual support)
- A nationwide resource based in St. Paul to provide emergency shelter for Latinx and Latina victims of domestic violence.
- Women of Nations: Call 651-251-1609
- This organization provides culturally-specific emergency services to Indigenous people, providing safety and shelter from domestic violence.
Breiding, Matthew J. (2015) “Intimate Partner Violence Surveillance Uniform Definitions and Recommended Data Elements.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed online 6/7/2021. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/intimatepartnerviolence.pdf
Buel, Sarah. (October, 1999) “Fifty Obstacles to Leaving, A.K.A.: Why Abuse Victims Stay.” The Colorado Lawyer. Accessed online 6/7/2021. http://www.ncdsv.org/images/50_Obstacles.pdf
Minnesota Department of Health. (2019) “Hospital Treated Intimate Partner Violence in Minnesota.” Accessed online 6/7/2021. https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/svp/documents/ipvdatabrief.pdf
Violence Free Minnesota. (2019) “2019 Homicide Report: Relationship Abuse in Minnesota.” Accessed online 6/7/2021. https://d47d5ce9-473d-419f-88e4-9cf62c2a68d1.filesusr.com/ugd/f4bdb8_2e5b07c820174a6fba5c1125698087a5.pdf