According to Project for Victims of Family Violence, violence is not just hitting with a fist or getting hospitalized with an injury.  It includes many different actions.  A partial list of different kinds of violence and some examples of each type is included.
 
Physical Violence
Any use of size, strength or presence to control or hurt someone else.  This can be further divided into three categories.
 
Physical Contact Between People Such as: Pushing
Slapping
Hair Pulling
Twisting Arms/fingers
 
Physical Use of Objects Such as:
Throwing objects
Breaking personal items.
Driving reckless to scare.
Punching walls.
Use of Size or Presence
 
Other examples of physical include:
Blocking doorway to prevent leaving.
Standing behind car to prevent leaving.
Unplugging phone so you can not call for help.
 
Emotional Violence
This includes threatening suicide, following you, asking you who you were with, threatening to harm self and not keeping a job.

A family history of violence is prevalent in many homes.  Some men learn battering behavior from observing their father beat their mother, or from being abused themselves. Many battered women were sexually abused as children.
 
Children who are abused may repeat abusive behavior as adults.  Adults abused as children may continue to see themselves as the victim.
 
Disagreements and conflicts are normal in relationships, but slapping, kicking, pushing, and other forceful behaviors are battering.
 
Battering usually becomes worse over time.
 
 

Do you have a family history of violence ?

Did your father hit, slap, kick your mother ?

Are you a survivor of sexual assault or incest ?

Were you abused as a child ?

Have you been hit, kicked by your partner ?

If you answered “yes” to any one of the questions, you are at risk for domestic violence.  The more questions answered “yes” to the higher  your risk of domestic violence is in the future.

Risk Factors You Can Control

Are you aware of community resources
available if you are abused?

Do you talk about your feelings ?

Do you have friends, support persons to talk with ?

Do you avoid alcohol abuse ?

Do you have a skill or occupation for financial support ?

Do you feel  there are dangers in having a gun in your home ?

If you answered “no” to any one of the above questions, you are at-risk for domestic violence.  The more questions you answered “no” to, the higher your risk of domestic violence.
 

If you are concerned about domestic violence, talk to your nurse, physician, police officer, or an area women’s shelter worker.  Or, call the Sheriff’s Department at 713-221-6000 for an after the fact situation or 9-1-1 for an in progress situation. Don’t become a statistic - make someone aware of your situation and seek help.  Help is out there - you must alert someone to your need. There are places to go with your children - call and ask for help - now.