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In Oklahoma, more domestic violence incidents are reported between the hours of 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. than any other time of day. In fact, nearly one out of every four females in the United States will be abused at some time during their lives. Two-thirds of all marriages will experience violence at least once.

If this has happened to you or someone you know you're not alone.

Types of Abuse

What types of abuse are there and how do I know if I'm being abused? The following are types of domestic violence. If any of these have happened to you or someone you know, please seek the help that you need. Domestic violence is a crime.

• Physical abuse: Verbal threats of violence, pushing, shoving, hitting, slapping, punching, biting, kicking, holding down, pinning against the wall, choking, throwing objects, breaking objects, punching walls, driving recklessly to scare, blocking exits, using weapons.
• Emotional/Verbal abuse: Name calling, coercion and threats, intimidating, manipulating, criticizing, yelling, humiliation, isolating, economic abuse (controlling finances, preventing victim from working), threatening to hurt children or pets, stalking. Psychological abuse can be hard to recognize because it does not leave physical scars, but many women agree that psychological abuse is actually much harder to bear than physical abuse. 
• Sexual abuse: Unwanted touching, sexual name calling, false accusations of sexual infidelity, forced sex, unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, HIV transmission. People often think that sexual abuse only happens between strangers, but it also often happens between people who are dating or married.

What happens if I don't do anything about the abuse? Domestic violence can cause emotional and physical harm and not doing anything to prevent or get out of domestically violent situations can cause the harm to only worsen and can even cause death. Not only is the victim affected, but so are the loved ones around them.

Some people may not realize or want to admit that they are caught in an abusive situation and it's not easy to take action on their own. Getting help and getting out of harms way is a process in which women need to become strong emotionally and financially before they are able to leave with success.

Women need to know that they are not the only ones suffering and should seek out someone they trust and feel comfortable talking to. Visit our Counseling page for more information. Another option is to call a help hotline to get one started in the right direction.