Violence

If you're a victim of abuse or violence at the hands of someone you know or love, or you are recovering from an assault by a stranger, you are not alone. To get immediate help and support call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. You can also visit the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline.

Minority Women's Health > Hispanic Americans/Latinas > Health Topics > Violence

• Resources in English
• Recursos en español

Violence affects women from all backgrounds. It is a leading cause of injury for American women between the ages of 15 and 54, but violence can happen at any age. Violence can have terrible and costly results for everyone involved, including families, communities, and society. Violence can take many forms, including domestic or intimate partner violence, sexual assault and abuse, dating violence, and elder abuse. Learn more about the different types of violence in our Violence Against Women section.

If someone has hurt you, keep in mind, it is not your fault. You did not cause the abuse to occur and you are not responsible for the violent behavior of someone else.

If you’re in an abusive relationship, be careful when using the Internet. Your computer use can be tracked so protect your privacy. By cleaning the cache and history and erasing the cookies on your computer, others are not able to go onto your computer and check up on what you have been doing. However, if you have any reason to suspect that someone may be tracking your computer usage, they may grow suspicious if all records of internet activity disappear. For more information and directions on protecting your privacy, visit www.rainn.org/about/user-safety-procedures.html

Resources in English

Publications

1.   Violence Against Women - The Violence Against Women web page provides abused women and their loved ones with resources and information they can use to get help. This web page contains links to publications about violence, domestic violence, sexual abuse and assault, dating violence, elder abuse, legislation, and violence resources in each state.

   http://www.womenshealth.gov/violence/

2.   How Do I Apply for Immigration Benefits as a Battered Spouse or Child? - This publication, from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, outlines the steps that a battered victim can take in applying for immigration benefits. It outlines who is eligible, the process for applying, and frequently asked questions regarding immigrant rights in the United States.

   http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/...

3.   Sexual Violence Fact Sheet - This fact sheet discusses the prevalence and incidence of sexual violence, the associated risk factors, and consequences. It also provides some strategies in trying to prevent sexual violence.

   http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/svfacts.htm

4.   State Sexual Assault Coalitions - This publication contains a list of addresses, phone numbers, and faxes of coalitions across the country who help with domestic violence.

   http://www.usdoj.gov/ovw/saresources.htm

5.     Understanding Intimate Partner Violence - This fact sheet contains statistical information on the number of women who are victims of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), characteristics of the most common victims and perpetrators of IPV, and the effects it can have on a person and society as a whole.

   http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/dvp/ipv_factsheet.pdf

6. Are you Being Abused? (Copyright © ACOG) - This simple true-false quiz helps victims and those who care about them identify the signs of abuse. It encourages victims to seek assistance and gives helpful phone numbers to call.

   http://www.acog.org/from_home/departments/dept_notice.cfm?recno=17&bulletin=198

7. Basic Questions & Answers for Non-citizen Survivors of Domestic Violence (Copyright @ WomensLaw.org) - This publication is a question and answer sheet for non-citizen survivors of domestic violence. It gives answers to questions regarding places to go for help, implications of being an immigrant victim, victim's rights, and various other topics.

   http://www.womenslaw.org/laws_state_type.php?id=10269&state_code=US&open_...

8. Battered Immigrant Women Toolbox (Copyright © FVPF) - This toolkit provides publications to help prevent domestic violence among immigrant women. Whether you are a friend, neighbor, co-worker or advocate, you can be a vital link in the movement to end abuse by providing the appropriate information and resources for an immigrant woman in need.

   http://www.endabuse.org/programs/display.php3?DocID=9927

9. Domestic Violence: Protecting Yourself and Your Children (Copyright © AAFP) - This fact sheet provides information on how to protect yourself and your children from domestic violence, where to go to get help, and other facts you should know about domestic violence.

   http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/safety/kids-family/052.html

10. Emotional Abuse (Copyright © TWC) - This article provides an overview of emotional abuse and gives examples of signs that you or someone you know may be a victim of domestic violence through emotional abuse.

    http://www.thewomenscenter.org/content.asp?contentid=220

Organizations

1.   Office of Minority Health, OPHS, OS, HHS
2.   Office on Violence Against Women, OJP, DOJ
3. National Center for Victims of Crime
4. National Domestic Violence Hotline
5. Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network

= Indicates Federal Resources

Recursos en español

Publicaciones

1.   Hogares libre de violencia: opciones y ayuda para la mujer maltratada (Copyright © National Latino Alliance for the Elimination of Domestic Violence) - Esta publicación tiene información acerca de cómo se manifiesta el abuso o el maltrato y qué puede hacer si ha sido maltratada.

   http://www.dvalianza.org/pdfs/b_hogareslibres.pdf

2. Preguntas y respuestas básicas para las supervivientes de la violencia doméstica que no sean ciudadanas (de Estados Unidos) (Copyright © Womenslaw.org) - Es seguro que víctimas de abuso que también sean indocumentados enfrentarían ciertos obstáculos para pedir y recibir ayuda. Esta hoja de datos presenta respuestas a muchas de las preguntas más comunes acerca de este tema.

   http://www.womenslaw.org/laws_state_type.php?id=10269&state_code=US&open...

3.   Un plan de seguridad para la mujer maltratada (Copyright © National Latino Alliance for the Elimination of Domestic Violence) - Esta publicación tiene información acerca de qué es la violencia doméstica; qué es un plan de seguridad; qué puede hacer cuando hay violencia; dónde puede ir; y, cómo puede protegerse.

   http://www.dvalianza.org/pdfs/b_seguridad.pdf

4.   Usted tiene el derecho de vivir libre de violence en su hogar (Copyright © Family Violence Prevention Fund) - Si usted vive con violencia en su hogar, esta publicación le explicará la variedad de servicios disponibles para asistirle a detener la violencia en su hogar.

   http://www.endabuse.org/programs/immigrant/files/spanish.pdf

5. La violencia domestica (Copyright © ABA) - Esta publicación tiene consejos de cómo se puede protegerse de la violencia doméstica. Dice lo que uno debe hacer en una emergencia.

   http://www.abanet.org/tips/safetips2.html

Organizaciones

1.   Centro de Información de la Oficina de Salud de las Minorías
2. La Línea Nacional sobre la Violencia Doméstica
3. National Latino Alliance for the Elimination of Domestic Violence (Alianza Latina Nacional para Erradicar la Violencia Doméstica)

= Recurso Federal

Current as of December 2007