If Your Friend or Relative Is Being Abused, Please Read This

One in four U.S. women will be abused by an intimate partner (someone she is living with or dating, is or has been married to, or has a child with) during her lifetime. The problem is so common that most of us probably have a friend or a relative who is being abused. If you want to help someone who you believe is being abused, please read on.

Defining Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)

IPV can be emotional or physical. Abusers try to control their victims in many ways — for example, by forbidding them to contact friends or relatives, frequently checking their whereabouts, or not allowing them access to money. They might say hurtful things about the victim in private or in public or cause physical injuries by hitting, kicking, or choking her. You…