http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvBKlBhfgPc

What is Spousal Abuse?

• Violence against women and girls is one of the most wide spread violations of human rights around the world

• Spousal or domestic abuse refers to the violence or mistreatment that a woman or a man may experience at the hands of a marital partner. Spousal abuse may happen at any time during a relationship, including while it is breaking down, or after it has ended.

What is Spousal Abuse? (Continued)

• There are several different forms of domestic abuse including:

– Physical

– Sexual

– Emotional

–Verbal

– Economic

– Spiritualhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WL3rfk2iFww&feature=related

Facts

• 1 to 2 women are murdered by a current or former partner each week in Canada

• 36% of female victims of spousal violence and less than 10% of victims of sexual assault reported these crimes to the police in 2004.

• In 2004, twice as many women than men were beaten by their partners and four times as many were choked.

• 40% of women who turn up in emergency departments of hospitals are there because of abuse.

• In 54% of violent marriages, rape is a significant or major form of abuse

• 40% of women who were abused during pregnancy reported that the abuse began when they were pregnant.

Affects of Abusive Homes on their Children

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJF50kwwRJE&feature=related

Affects of Abusive Homes on their Children (continued)

• Each year an estimated 3.3 million children are exposed to violence against their mothers by another family member

• Studies show that child abuse occurs in 30 to 60 % of domestic violence cases that involve families with children.

• In families where the mother is assaulted by the father, daughters are at risk of sexual abuse 6.51 times greater than girls in non-abusive families

Affects of Abusive Homes on their Children (continued)

• A child's exposure to the father abusing the mother is the strongest risk factor for transmitting violent behaviour from one generation to the next

• In a 36-month study of 146 children, ages 11-17 who came from homes where there was spousal abuse, all sons over the age of 14 attempted to protect their mothers from attacks. About 62 percent of them were injured in the process.

Affect of Abuse on Children• Children who are exposed to violence can

include emotional trauma, depression, injury and permanent disability, as well as other physical, psychological and behavioural problems that can extend into adolescence and adulthood.

Women’s Help Centers • There are many women centres all over in Ontario that

are open whenever you need them to be. If there is no way to get there, there are help lines available whenever. Most of the websites that you can visit have a panic button in the corner in case your spouse comes home and it will close the page and delete the history.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJX8S5Cw0c8&feature=related

Martha house- good shepherds women centre Hamilton, 905 523 6277Interval house of Hamilton- WentworthHamilton, 905 387 8881Native women centerHamilton, 905 664 1114Inasmuch houseHamilton, 905 529 8600

Red Flags of a Future Abusive Relationship

- Jealously- Controlling behaviour - Quick involvement - Unrealistic expectations - Isolations- Blames others

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82c22jbLVcE&feature=related

- Cruelty to animals and or children- “playful” use of force in sex- Verbal abuse- If you feel afraid- Criticize you- Ignore you- Drink a lot often

November 25th

• National day of the elimination of violence against women

• Raises awareness to women around the world that are raped, domestically abused and are victims of other forms of abuse.

• People are encouraged to wear a white ribbon for awareness of domestic violence

• Women activists first marked this day in 1981