ON A DEEPER LEVEL....

Myth
Domestic violence is quite rare.

Unfortunately this is very far from the truth. Research indicates that:

• 
  1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence at some point in their lives.
• 
  At any one given time between 1 in 9 women will be experiencing domestic violence.
• 
  2 women a week are murdered by a current or former partner.
• 
  Over 45,000 women and children stay in a refuge each year.
• 
  1 in 6 homeless families are escaping domestic violence.

UK police attend a domestic violence incident every minute of every hour of every day.
It's difficult to know the true extent of domestic violence due to four factors:

• The hidden nature of the problem.
• 
  Under-reporting.
• 
  The rare identification of domestic violence as a separate issue means, that it doesn't appear in statistical data.
• 
  Different understandings / definitions of domestic violence.

For more about the extent of the problem, have a look at our Facts and Stats section.
Back to 'What is domestic violence?'

taken from this site:
http://www.acmedate.net/health/hh/what11.shtml

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I find this to be a very scary look at the reality - and a HUGE wake up call that many of us (both men/women) can be the unlucky ones to meet a person who is a potential harmer.

However, I don't feel that this is the only form of abuse that relationships can ge through ...
Just because a person has not raised a hand to you, does NOT mean they are not an abusive partner.

Abuse comes in many forms -from emotional to physical.
And what does it come down to -- In my opinion, the need to be in control over someone else. The need to feel important for their insecure sorry self.

From observation, I know it may take years for someone to regain their confidence and sense of being back after an emotional vampire contacts them... And that often, it is usually dealt with too late before the other wakes up to the reality that their partner is strictly a negative force. The energy vampire is usually clever (but insecure being) and manipulative, that knows how to hide their tracks... And spot the victim.

Unfortunaely, I don't feel that there are any stats to prove this point, but it is more common thatn we know.

So abuse does come in many forms -- All I can say is that if someone steps over a line, then they're probably going to do it again. Its best to just leave them alone.

Another set of scary stats -STALKING:
http://www.nutball.com/classes/mrshowell/Gill/stalkingfacts.html
http://crime.about.com/od/stalking/a/stalking_facts.htm
http://www.stalkingbehavior.com/definiti.htm

...Another thing that has been an observation in my life through friends etc...

WHATEVER THE SITUATION, KNOW THAT THERE IS HOPE AND YOU CAN TAKE CONTROL OVER IT. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR BAD BEHAVIOUR.

A few scary facts to think about.