Youth Issues

Violence Against Young Women

• Make all the decisions?
  
• Pressure you to have sex?
  
• Keep you from seeing your friends and family?
  
• Act jealous or possessive?
  
• Not take your opinion seriously?
  
• Put you down, call you names, or humiliate you?
  
• Slap, push, or hit you?
  

If you answered yes to any of these, your boyfriend may be an abuser. You are not alone - help is available. Domestic violence is never the victim's fault.

• A Teacher
  
• A Crisis Advocate
  
• Your School Police Officer
  
• Someone in your Family
  
• Your School Counselor
  
• Someone in your Faith Community
  
• Another Person you Trust
  

Get a 9-1-1 Cell Phone

Mid-Valley Women's Crisis Service can provide you with a cell phone for 9-1-1 use at no cost. A cell phone can be an important part of your safety plan.

What is Domestic violence?

Domestic violence is a pattern of behaviors that one person uses to physically, sexually, emotionally and/or verbally abuse another person. Remember, domestic violence is never the fault of the victim.

• More than one in four young women are victims of domestic violence.
  
  
• Jealousy and possessiveness are not a sign of love.
  
  
• Thirty percent of young women aged 15-19 who are murdered, are killed by their boyfriend.
  
  
• Domestic violence happens because abusers believe they have a right to have power and control over their partner. It is not about anger, alcohol, or drugs.
  
  
• Domestic violence occurs in every part of our society. No group or community is immune to it.
  
  

What is sexual assault?

Sexual assault is sexual contact with anyone who cannot or does not give informed consent.

• Sexual assaults are planned by offenders.
  
  
• Over 60% of sexual assaults are committed by someone that the survivor knows.
  
  
• Over 40% of sexual assaults occur in the victim's home.
  
  
• Every 2 minutes, somewhere in the United States, someone is sexually assaulted.
  
  
• No one asks to be sexually assaulted. People have the right to be safe from sexual violence. The offender, not the survivor, must be held responsible for this crime.
  
  

The information in this section is available for download from the Documents page in printable format.