Safety and Injury Prevention

 Child Abuse - maltreatment of a child under the age of 18; can be physical, emotional, neglect or sexual abuse  Physical Abuse - maltreatment that harms the body  Neglect - maltreatment that involves lack of proper care and guidance  Emotional Abuse - maltreatment that involves assault in a nonphysical way  Sexual Abuse - maltreatment that involves inappropriate sexual behavior between an adult and child  Drug Abuse - misuse of drugs; can be prescription or nonprescription; can be legal or illegal  Alcohol Abuse - misuse of alcohol

 Molestation - inappropriate touching of another  Assault - threatening action that causes a person to fear for his/her safety  Battery - illegal touching of another in a threatening or insulting manner  Verbal Abuse - disrespectful/threatening language to another person  Domestic Violence - verbal and/or physical fighting with another member who lives in the same home  Acquaintance Rape - sexually violated by someone you know or do not know well; DATE RAPE  Stranger Rape - sexually violated by someone that you do not know; violator wants to overpower another individual

People who have been abused need help in sorting out their feelings. They may feel:  Confused - The person may not know if he/she should tell anyone about the abuse.  Guilty - The person may feel blame themselves and wonder “Is this my fault?”  Afraid - The person may be afraid of the abuser and keep the abuse a secret.  Distrustful - The person may not trust others who say they care about them.  Depressed - The person may feel sad and withdrawn from others.  Angry - The person may take anger out on others and become a perpetrator of violence.

 Codependence is a mental disorder in which a person loses their personal identity and is unaware of their personal thoughts and feelings.  Codependence often occurs in Dysfunctional families.

 A Dysfunctional Family is one in which there is no guidelines for responsible behavior or consequences for inappropriate behavior. This leads to:  Distrust  Lack of affection  Lack of cooperation

Dysfunctional families:  Destroy the ability to form healthful relationships with those outside the family  Contribute to risk-taking behavior  Alcohol and drug use are more common  Risks seem to offer temporary relief rather deal with painful issues * Recovery always involves dealing with painful issues and learning to express feelings and get needs met in healthful ways.

 What are the 3 types of abuse?  List 3 warning signs that indicate a problem is brewing.  What does an abuser do to gain control?

 What are the 3 phases of the Cycle of Violence?  List 3 resources victims can go to for help.

 Honeymoon Phase  The abuser shows loving behavior such as gifts, flowers, and doing special things for the victim.  The victim is trusting, hoping for change and wants to believe the partner’s promises.  Tension-Building Phase  The abuser is edgy, has minor explosions; may become verbally abusive, minor hitting and slapping  The victim feels tense and afraid like “walking on eggshells”; feels helpless and compliant, accepts blame  Serious Battering Phase  The tension becomes unbearable. The victim may provoke the incident to get it over with.  The victim may try to cover up the injury or may look for help.  The cycle starts all over again.

 Enabler – a person who knowingly or unknowingly supports abusive behavior (drug, alcohol, physical, emotional, sexual, etc.)  Domestic shelter – where families can go to stay safe away from abuse  Formal Intervention – an action by people to help a person get treatment; often involves family and friends but can also involve a counselor or other important people in the person’s life  Mentor – a person who can provide support for another person; teacher, coach, religious leader

Early Warning Signs:  Is jealous or possessive towards you  Tries to control you  Is scary  Is violent or has history of fighting  Pressures you for sex  Abuses drugs or alcohol  Blames you when they mistreat you  Has history of bad relationships  Believes men should be in control  Your friends and family have warned you about him for your safety

People who hit:  Usually come from violent homes  Think men should be the boss  Often feel powerless  Blame others for making them angry  Don’t know any other ways to handle their feelings  Often have poor self-esteem

People who stay in the bad relationships:  Often come from violent homes themselves– they think it’s normal behavior  Think any boyfriend is better than none  Accept blame, even if it’s not their fault  Believe if they love him enough he will change  Make excuses for his behavior

 1 in 5 women have experienced acquaintance rape  Larger numbers report they have been touched against their will  70% of all rapes are acquaintance rapes  In most rapes, the rapist is known to and often trusted by the victim  90% of all rapes are never reported  Acquaintance rape is often the result of ineffective communication. “No means No”  84% of men who committed rape said that what they did wasn’t rape  The use of alcohol and drugs is often related to incidents of acquaintance rape  The majority of rape victims are women years old  Forcible rape of women over the age of 18 occurs in the U.S. at a rate of 1.3 per minute or 683,000 per year.

 Be leery of men who appear dominant or demanding  Do not get in risk situations  Go in groups, avoid isolated places  Verbalize any feelings specifically and forcefully  Verbalize where you stand in regard to physical intimacy  Learn to resist and respond to unwanted sexual advances  Screaming, fighting, scratching, kicking, self-defense classes  Avoid drinking alcohol or using other drugs that interfere with your judgment