Help End Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence

Every person has the right to live their life safely and free of domestic and intimate partner violence. A life without violence is essential to a person's health. You can take steps to protect vulnerable individuals and to help promote a culture that does not allow or accept violence against them.

What are the challenges to ending violence in relationships?

Ending violence against domestic and intimate partners is an effort that includes everyone in society. Violence is a violation of a basic human right for safety. Violence against domestic and intimate partners has been happening for a long time, but everyone can work together to prevent it in the future.

Violence against partners can be prevented by strengthening vulnerable individuals' access to basic human rights and resources. Research shows that communities with more access to education, jobs, housing, health care, affordable child care and elder care, and equality for all people have lower rates of domestic and intimate partner violence.¹

What are the challenges to ending sexual violence?

In addition to challenges in ending all domestic and intimate partner violence, ending sexual violence (most commonly against women) requires more gender equality in all parts of society. Part of being human is sexuality. Sex and gender influence many different parts of a person's life. Sexual violence can happen when a person's value in society is seen only through their sexuality. Although far less common, sexual violence also occurs against men; however, for women, they are not always seen as equals to men and are more likely to be victimized through their sexuality.

People who have experienced sexual assault are often blamed for the assault. Placing blame on someone for another person's choice to assault them is wrong. Many of those who report sexual assault are asked questions about what they were wearing, whether they were drinking or using drugs, or where they were during the assault. These questions imply that the sexual assault was the victim's fault. Sexual assault is always the responsibility of the person who committed the assault. It is never the victim's fault.

In order to end sexual violence, everyone must agree as a society that sexual contact between people cannot happen unless there is clear consent.

How can I help end violence in relationships?

Sexual violence hurts the whole community. Learn ways you can work to help end domestic and intimate partner in your community. Here are some suggestions:

• Call the police if you see or hear evidence of domestic violence.
• Learn about bystander intervention (Link opens in a new windowhttps://www.rainn.org/articles/practicing-active-bystander-intervention). You can help prevent sexual assault from happening.
• Support a friend or family member who may be in an abusive relationship.
• Volunteer at a local domestic violence shelter or other organization that helps survivors or works to prevent violence.
• Teach your children early on that they are the ones who decide who gets to touch them and where. Consider teaching them the proper names for the parts of their body at a young age so that they can clearly communicate about their bodies. Teach children that it's their choice whether they want to hug or kiss others, even family.
• Raise children to respect others. Teach children to treat others as they would like to be treated. Talk to your children about healthy relationships and the importance of treating their dating partners and others with respect. Teach them that consent from a dating partner is a clear "yes" for sexual activity.
• Lead by example. Work to create a culture that rejects violence as a way to deal with problems. Speak up against messages that say that violence against or mistreatment of others is OK. Don't be violent or abusive yourself.
• Become an activist. Participate in an anti-violence event like a local Take Back the Night march (Link opens in a new windowhttps://takebackthenight.org). Support domestic violence services and violence prevention programs by donating your time.
• Volunteer in youth programs. Become a mentor. Get involved in programs that teach young people to solve problems without violence. Get involved with programs that teach teenagers about healthy relationships and healthy masculinity and femininity.
• Ask about anti-violence policies and programs at work and school. At work, ask about policies that deal with sexual harassment, for example. On campus, ask about services to escort students to dorms safely at night, emergency call boxes on campus, campus security, and other safety measures. Ask about any bystander intervention training programs that may be happening on campus or at work.
• Learn more about national programs to end sexual violence in communities (Link opens in a new windowhttps://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/sexualviolence/prevention.html).

Reference

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2023, July). Resources for action. Retrieved March 25, 2024, from https://www.cdc.gov