Domestic Violence & Abuse

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Safe Horizon is the largest provider of domestic violence services in the country. Collaborating with the criminal justice system, Safe Horizon offers innovative programs that provide affected individuals and families with support throughout the complex process of leaving violent relationships and building safe futures.

What is Domestic Violence?

Domestic violence is a pattern of behavior used to establish power and control over another person through fear and intimidation, often including the threat or use of violence. Domestic violence can include physical abuse, emotional abuse, economic abuse, and sexual abuse. Batterers use threats, intimidation, isolation, and other behaviors to maintain power over their victims.

Domestic violence impacts everyone, regardless of income, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or religion. Thirty percent of Americans say they know a woman who has been physically abused by her husband or boyfriend (Lieberman Research, Inc., Tracking Survey conducted for The Advertising Council and the Family Violence Prevention Fund, July-October 1996). Domestic violence also affects same-sex relationships, and men can be victims as well.

Other terms for domestic violence include intimate partner violence, battering, relationship abuse, spousal abuse, or family violence.

If you need support, go to the Get Help for Domestic Violence page.

What are Some Signs of Domestic Violence?

According to the Centers for Disease Control, domestic violence and abuse may include:

• Physical violence (kicking, hitting, shoving, destruction of victims' properties or other physical force) or threats
• Sexual violence and abuse (including rape and sexual assault or threats)
• Emotional abuse, including intimidation, controlling victims' contact with others, and stalking
• Verbal abuse, including threats to harm the victims' family, friends, children, co-workers, or pets

Several or all of the above forms of violence and abuse may take place.

(Centers for Disease Control, "Understanding Intimate Partner Violence" Fact Sheet. http://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/pdf/IPV_factsheet-a.pdf)

Domestic Violence Shelters

Safe Horizon is New York City’s largest provider of domestic violence residences for battered women and men, with more than 700 beds available throughout the five boroughs. Safe Horizon operates both emergency shelters for crisis situations and transitional housing where families may stay for several months in order to plan for a future free from violence. The shelters offer comprehensive services including counseling, housing assistance, life skills and parenting courses, childcare, and medical aid.

If you are a victim of domestic violence and are in need of shelter, please call our hotline.

Take a Tour of a Domestic Violence Shelter.

In April 2011, Safe Horizon opened our ninth shelter, Rose House. Learn more.

Other Types of Abuse: Elder Abuse

Elder abuse is the maltreatment of an elderly or disabled person by a family member or caretaker. As with intimate partner violence and abuse, elder abuse can include physical, sexual, or psychological abuse; financial exploitation, and/or neglect, including the denial of basic needs such as food and medical care.

Remember that no one - not your caretaker, not a family member - is allowed to:

• Deny you meals or medication
• Hide or break your eyeglasses, hearing aid, or false teeth
• Threaten to hurt you or your children, your pets, or friends
• Humiliate, be cruel, or speak harshly to you
• Keep you away from friends and family
• Take your Social Security checks
• Spend your rent or food money
• Steal your belongings
• Hit, beat, push or restrain you
• Force you to have sexual contact
• Keep you locked up

If you are over 60 and any of these things are happening to you, call Safe Horizon’s 24-hour hotline at 800.621.4673 (HOPE).

Remember, you are not to blame. You have a right to be safe and feel secure in your own home.

Other Types of Abuse: Teen Dating Violence

Dating violence can happen among young people, and can affect youth regardless of social, economic, racial, ethnic, gender, or orientation differences. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, women between the ages of 16 and 24 are at greatest risk of becoming domestic violence victims, and at a rate three times greater than other groups.

Find out more about this issue by visiting our Teens and Dating Violence Facts page.

Other Types of Abuse: Child Abuse

Child abuse, or child maltreatment, is an act by a parent, caretaker, sibling, family member, or other person that results in the physical or emotional harm or death of a child. Emotional abuse, neglect, physical abuse and sexual abuse are all different forms of child abuse.

Visit our Child Abuse & Incest page to learn more.

To report suspected child abuse in New York, call the New York State Child Abuse Hotline: 800.342.3720.

*Images used are representations of Safe Horizon's clients.